


Anything for Family

by Dolston17



Category: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV)
Genre: Adopted Children, Babies, F/M, Family, Fluff and Humor, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, One Shot Collection, Pregnancy, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-11
Updated: 2020-11-06
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:41:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 75
Words: 127,862
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24124531
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dolston17/pseuds/Dolston17
Summary: A series of one-shots revolving around Jake and Amy's family, both at home and at the Nine-Nine. All of the show's favorite characters make an appearance at least one. Nothing too serious. Will mostly be about family, friendship, hurt/comfort, romance and humor.
Relationships: Amy Santiago & Everyone, Amy Santiago & Family, Jake Peralta & Everyone, Jake Peralta & Family, Jake Peralta/Amy Santiago
Comments: 453
Kudos: 319





	1. Lose the Battle, Win the War

**Author's Note:**

> This is my very first fanfiction but I hope you like it.

********

********

Jake walked up to the front door of their home. They had just bought it just over 5 months ago. It wasn't that they didn't like their previous home, which was an apartment, but times change. When Amy became pregnant, they knew that their apartment was not big enough for three of them. With the help of their friends, Jake and Amy found a home that would be perfect for them, their little family.

For months, Jake and Amy worked really hard to make the perfect nursery. I took them a month to complete it all and, every day since then, Jake and Amy found themselves entering the nursery at least twice each day. It wouldn't be another two months until an actual baby started living in the nursery.

In the present day, Jake walked into the nursery, expecting to see Amy and Mac in there. Well, at least Mac was there, sleeping in his crib. The boy hardly slept at nights but, somehow, had the energy to be hyperactive during days. Jake figured he'd tired himself out that day and was sleeping peacefully. This led to his second deduction that Amy was most probably sleeping as well. Not only did their son tire himself out during days, but he also tired out anyone who was taking care of him. So, when Jake didn't find his wife in their bedroom, he was a bit surprised.

'Amy?' he called, wondering if she was in the bathroom but he got no response. He went to every room in their home, calling out her name. Once he reached their kitchen, he finally saw her. She was outside, in their small backyard, facing the few plants in their small garden, simply folding her hands. Jake knew that stance of hers, it was her stance for when Jake annoyed her to her core. Jake figured she had probably had a rough day with Mac.

'Amy,' he said as he walked to her. Recognizing her husband's voice, she turned around really quickly and stomped.

'Hey, babe! How was your day? Tell me everything!' she said in a single breath, hoping to negate any suspicions he had about her recent action.

'Um…it was fine,' he said trying to figure out what she had just done. 'Amy, are you okay?' he asked.

'Yeah, never better!'

'What were you doing here?'

'The plants, you know? So pretty…'

'Are you hiding something?'

Amy sighed, knowing she'd have to tell him the truth. 'Alright, look there's something I need to tell you,' she said, 'but please don't overreact.'

Jake nodded. Amy slowly took a step back as Jake watched her. Amy then pointed to where she had stomped when she had turned to look at her husband. There was a crushed cigarette and, by the looks of it, Amy hadn't been smoking long. She was bracing herself for a series of questions but all Jake said was, 'Okay, let's go in.'

Amy was a bit surprised but promptly followed him back in. Jake poured her a glass of water, after all, he didn't want his wife to be smelling of smoke when they were talking to each other. As if on cue, their son started crying, which was heard via the baby monitor inside the pocket of Amy's hoodie. Even before she could put the glass down to go to the nursery, Jake had gotten up and briskly left. Amy got up and walked to the living room, where she silently sat on the couch. She looked around the room and saw almost every toy their two-month old owned. He was very hyperactive for a two-month old and today he'd pushed Amy's stress levels to another level, hence the smoking.

'Hey! Look who's up?' said Jake while carrying their infant son into the room. Amy smiled slightly. It wasn't that she didn't want her son there but today he had been stressing her on another level. Jake set their son on the floor after seeing the toys scattered around.

Jake proceeded to using his phone, while Amy played along the rim of the glass she was holding. She knew she owed Jake an explanation but she didn't know what to say. 'Jake, I'm so sorry', she said slowly.

Jake looked up and saw her worried expression. 'Why?' he asked.

'For smoking,' she replied, her tone implying that it couldn't be more obvious. 'It's just that Mac was really, really fussy and started throwing a tantrum and I haven't eaten much today and some of the paperwork that I had to complete are blank and I haven't showered in three days and I feel like crap,' she said. Towards the end, a few tears started were threatening to leave her eyes. Seeing this, Jake enveloped her in a hug and rubbed her back soothingly.

'Babe, it's alright,' he reassured her, 'You've done everything brilliantly. You were home with an extremely hyperactive two-month and you handled it so well. Besides, there's nothing wrong with stressing out.'

'So you're not mad at me for smoking?' she asked.

'No,' he said.

'Oh, thank God!' Amy thought to herself. She would ignore most people who advised her against smoking but Jake wasn't most people.

'But,' he said, making Amy feel guilty again, 'I would prefer you didn't.'

Amy knew he was right. It literally said on the packet of her cigarettes that they would kill her. Amy knew she wasn't a chain-smoker but there was no upside to smoking, even if you did limit yourself to one cigarette per day, week, month or even year. She knew it probably wouldn't be the death of her but she also realized there was no reason to take a risk. She looked at the little baby by her feet playing with a plush puppy and then looked at the man who was soothing her. She would never want anyone or anything cut her times short with either of them. So, if it meant quitting smoking, she'd do exactly that.

'I'll quit,' she declared after sometime.

'I'm proud of you,' Jake said, kissing the top of her head.

'Anything for the family,' she said as she smiled, 'But I am gonna need your help.'

'Sure, anything,' he said. But then his eyes went wide as he pleaded, 'Wait, Ames, you're not gonna make me quit something for our family, are you? Because I love you and I love Mac, but please don't make me quit Die Hard!'

Amy rolled her eyes, 'Jake, we literally named our son after one of the characters. That ship has long sailed.' Hearing those words made Jake let out a sigh of relief. But what followed was to haunt him forever: 'Instead, I want you to develop a habit, one that will help this family: I want you to eat one vegetable each day until he does.'

Jake stuttered, 'Bu-B-But Ames, he's just two months old. He doesn't even need to eat veggies now!'

'I know,' replied Amy, 'But if he grows up with a dad not eating veggies, he'll learn the same.' She gave him a quick peck on the lips. 'All for the family, babe,' she said as she got up to go and take a shower.

Jake picked up his son from the floor and brought him up to his eye level. 'I don't know much, but I do know this: Mommy may lose the battle sometimes but she ALWAYS wins the war.'


	2. Can't always Win

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mac is taught a very important lesson by Jake.

Jake entered the daycare, where his son was enrolled in. He saw his son in the corner playing with the Legos but was sulking too. He realized something was wrong. As the teacher noticed his presence, she got up to talk to him.

'Mr. Peralta,' she greeted.

'Ms. Walker,' he replied with a small wave. 'I guess something didn't go his way, huh?' he asked while gesturing to his three-year old.

'Yeah, no. Mac got in a competition with one of the other kids as to who could make a truck faster,' she explained, 'and it didn't break his way. He won't even have cookies or juice.'

Jake simply nodded while Ms. Walker went to talk to some other parent who'd just entered. Jake walked up to his son.

'Hey, buddy!' he exclaimed, hoping that Mac would feel happier seeing his father happy. But it didn't work. Instead, Mac looked up, still sulking. Jake couldn't help but smile wider noticing how his son pouted the same way Amy did when she was upset. 'How was your day?' he asked.

'Mmm,' grunted Mac and continued with his Lego construction. Mac usually promptly replied to his parents. But once he refused to even do that, Jake and Amy had come to learn he was really upset. They had once forced him to talk when he didn't want to, which only lead to him throwing a tantrum and causing further chaos.

'Ready to go home?' asked Jake. Mac silently got up, put all the pieces in the box and dragged it to his teacher. He then took his dad's hand and walked started leading him towards the door. Jake waved goodbye to Ms. Walker before exiting the daycare.

Once outside, Jake decided to carry the boy. He hadn't carried Mac for some while due to Mac persisting he was a 'big boy now' and also due to the birth of Harry, their month old son (after letting Jake name their first son after John McClane, it was only fair for Amy to get to name their second son after Harry Potter). As soon as Mac was in his arms, the little boy wrapped both arms around his father's neck and rested his head on his shoulder. When they reached the car, Jake strapped Mac in his seat and walked up to the front. The first minute of the drive was silent until Mac spoke up.

'Daddy?' he asked.

'Yeah?' replied Jake.

'Have you ever lost a race?' Mac asked.

Jake silently laughed at the innocence of the question. 'So many times,' said Jake. 'Just this morning I lost to your mom when giving your brother a bath and she was able to get him to sleep so much sooner,' he said while remembering the events. It wasn't that they made taking care of their children a competition but Jake promised he would get Harry bathed before he had to leave for the precinct although Amy insisted that she could do it as she was staying home anyway.

'So, Mommy always wins?' asked Mac again.

Jake laughed. 'No one always wins, Bud,' he said.

The little boy looked confused. It didn't make sense to him. 'But losing isn't fun,' he huffed.

Realizing this was going to be a long conversation, Jake pulled up at the ice-cream parlor a few blocks away from their home. He could've just gone home and talked to him there over a sandwich or something else but Amy was already home with a two-month old while doing some paperwork; he felt it would have been better to keep a fussy toddler away from her.

After getting their cups of ice-cream, Jake and Mac took their seats by the window. As expected by Jake, Mac spoke first.

'Daddy, why can't we win?'

'We can win. We just can't win all the time,' replied Jake.

'Why?' asked Mac.

Jake sighed. He never prepared himself for this conversation so early. 'Listen,' said Jake, 'there are some people who are better at some things than others are. But that doesn't mean you're bad at everything.'

'Like what?'

'Um… like Mommy's cooking is alright, right? But my cooking is excellent.'

Mac smiled at that. As far as he knew, Amy was the worst at cooking while Jake was the best. 'Yeah!' he exclaimed.

'Well. Mommy's better at telling stories than I am,' said Jake. 'You see? Everyone can't be the best at everything, not even Mommy and Daddy.'

Mac nodded, seeming to understand it now. 'Daddy,' he said slowly, 'I fought with Steve because he made a car faster than me. But I'm better at something than him?'

'Definitely,' Jake said while ruffling his hair. 'And I know what you're better at,' he declared.

'What?' asked Mac, jumping out of his seat.

'You're better at realizing when you're wrong. That makes you a better person.'

Mac smiled, 'Thank you for the ice-cream, Daddy. I love you.'

'Love you too, Champ,' said Jake. 'Do you wanna take some ice-cream for Mommy and Harry too?' he asked while wiping his son's mouth.

'Yeah!' exclaimed the boy.

After buying the ice-cream and reaching home, Mac ran into his Mom's office, while Jake went to put the ice-cream in the fridge. Mac ran to his mom. 'Mommy!' he exclaimed.

Amy turned around, one hand on the baby in the carrier wrapped around her torso. 'Hey, baby!' she said, hugging him as much as they could without frustrating Henry.

As Jake walked up to their office, he could hear Mac talking to Amy, '…and that's why we can't be the best and win at everything. And we bought you and Harry ice-cream too.'

As he entered the room, Jake and Amy met each other's gaze and smiled. It was a smile that Amy reserved for her boys whenever she was proud of them. Jake bent to give Amy a quick peck on her lips and then picked up Harry from the carrier, relieving the load off her.

'Why don't we go give Mommy the ice-cream, Mac?' suggested Jake, to which Mac grabbed his mother's hand and led her downstairs.

As Jake slowly followed, Harry gurgled, making Jake stop. As he looked down to face him, Harry spat right up at him. 'Yup,' said Jake, 'we can't win at everything…'


	3. Sisters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rosa and Amy have a sister-to-sister conversation

Rosa sat in the waiting room. To anyone around her, she seemed calm but on the inside she was nervous and shaken to her core. Her best friend had just been shot. What's worse was the fact that she shot Amy. At least it wasn't a fatal shot.

Amy and Rosa had been on a case for weeks. It was assigned to Rosa by Captain Jeffords but Rosa had asked for Amy's help. The case was about a drug cartel, which was shipping nearly 900 kilos of cocaine to a warehouse earlier that night. Unfortunately, the lieutenant, the detective, the S.W.A.T. team and the E.S.U. were all late to the scene. Making the shipment a success. However, the people stayed inside the warehouse with the shutter being locked from the outside.

'We need to break it open,' stated Rosa as she and Amy walked towards the lock.

'Right, let's get the S.W.A.T. team on it. It'll take about 5 minutes,' said Amy.

'What? No!' declared Rosa, 'They'll probably leave out the back by the time we'll be done. I'll blast it off with my gun.'

'Rosa, it's a massive lock,' said Amy while having a look at it in her hand, 'Your gun might not be able to break it.'

Boy, was Amy wrong. Just as Amy had finished her sentence, Rosa had fired a shot right at the lock, unaware that the lieutenant's hand was on it. Not only did the bullet break the lock, but it even managed to break a few bones in Amy's hand. Amy gave out a blood-curdling scream just as Rosa gestured the S.W.A.T. team to enter the warehouse.

'Oh my God! What the hell, Amy?' Rosa shouted at the sight of amount of blood on Amy's hand.

'I'm fine, it's alright,' Amy whimpered through the pain.

Rosa assisted her to the E.S.U. vehicle, which then took her to the hospital as they couldn't stop the bleeding. Rosa rushed back to the warehouse, cursing every second word when shouting out to the perpetrators. After her job was done, she called Jake to tell him what happened while driving to the hospital.

'Is there a Rosa Diaz?' asked the receptionist, looking up from her desk.

'That'll be me,' replied Rosa, in her usual tone.

'Amy Santiago is in Room 221B. You can see her now if you want to,' informed the receptionist.

Rosa promptly turned and walked briskly down the corridor until she came to the room. She stood outside for a moment, collecting her thoughts. She braced herself for a really riled up Amy Santiago, similar to the night when she gave birth to Mac at the precinct. But when she entered, Amy was on the bed, calmly going through her phone. Maybe this wouldn't be so bad.

'Hey,' said Rosa, slowly approaching her.

Amy looked up and replied, 'Oh, hi.' Amy's tone suggested that she was angry at Rosa but was trying her best to suppress it.

'So…' said Rosa slowly, 'how you holdin' up?'

'Been better,' replied Amy, in a direct tone. Rosa was sure she was still pissed at her but didn't say anything as she had no idea how to proceed with this conversation.

'Did you call Jake?' asked Amy after some time.

'Yeah,' replied Rosa. 'Hey look,' she said again after some time, 'I'm sorry I shot you. I didn't do it on purpose.'

'Okay,' said Amy and silence filled the room again. Rosa sat on one of the chairs in the room, tired of standing up.

Amy spoke up after some time again, 'I just don't know how I'll explain it to the kids. It's the first time either Jake or I've been injured at work since we became parents.'

That just increased the amount of guilt inside of Rosa. 'Sorry,' she said again.

'What's worse is the fact that you didn't listen to me- your lieutenant, your partner, your friend,' said Amy frustratingly.

'Okay! I'm sorry!' shouted Rosa, unable to bear any more guilt. 'You don't have to make me feel worse,' she said as she got up, leaving Amy shocked. 'I'm calling it a night. Jake's probably on his way,' she announced.

Just as she opened the door, Amy called out to her, 'Rosa! Wait!' Rosa turned around. 'I didn't mean to make you feel guiltier,' continued Amy, 'I'm sorry. Can you stay? Just until Jake comes? Please?'

Rosa sighed as she sat back down on the chair. 'Look,' said Rosa, 'it's been a long day. I didn't mean to shoot you or to shout at you like that.'

'I know,' replied Amy, 'It's all my fault really. I mean, why'd I have to inspect the lock in my hands? Besides, you were the primary on this case, I should have been listening to you all along.'

Rosa knew that they were both equally to blame. So, she tried shifting the subject. 'Look, let's forget about that,' she said, 'But I suppose you're gonna be riding the desk for a few weeks until your hand fully heals. On top of that, things at home won't be any easier. If you ever need me to look after your kids, just tell me.'

'Wow, thanks Rosa,' said Amy.

'Of course. I am their godmother.'

'Well, you're not just _their godmother_ ,' said Amy, confusing Rosa a bit, 'You're also _my sister_.'


	4. Another?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amy has made lieutenant but even though everyone has congratulated her, she feels one more person is left to congratulate her.

It was the day the new posts for the different precincts of the N.Y.P.D. were to be announced. This included new sergeants, lieutenants and captains. What made this day even more special was the fact that a new commissioner was to be appointed as well.

It was an important day for the Nine-Nine. Holt was up for commissioner, Terry for Captain and Amy for Lieutenant. It would be sad even if one of them wouldn't reach their goal. Furthermore, it could possibly result in the transfer to another precinct. For instance, a precinct couldn't have two captains. So, if Terry got promoted but Holt didn't, one of them would be transferred to another precinct. So, the entire Nine-Nine was hoping there wouldn't be any emotional goodbyes unless they were for Holt.

When the three envelopes arrived, Holt, Terry and Amy decided to read them at once. It turned out, quite deservedly so, that they all got promoted. The precinct erupted with joy and several hugs were shared. Even a few tears were shed by Terry and Amy. Throughout the day, several congratulations came the ways of the three people. But Amy felt as though she didn't hear it from the one person she needed to hear it the most.

Later that night, at Shaw's Bar, Holt, Terry and Amy gave a toast, thanking the entire squad for always being there for the three of them. They still had a week before assuming their promotions; so, no one wanted to start the emotional goodbye with Holt just then. It was here when all members of the squad personally talked to each of them, including Amy.

'So proud of you, Babe,' said Jake while giving her a peck on the lips.

'Amy, can't wait to serve under you as lieutenant!' exclaimed a really excited Charles.

'Congratulations, Amy,' said Scully.

'We just hope you never get us off desk duty,' chimed in Hitchcock.

'Damn, Santiago! I'm gonna have a really badass lieutenant! I'm so excited!' exclaimed Terry.

'It's gonna be so cool having an actual lieutenant who is also a woman. You're already better than what Hawkins was,' said Rosa.

'Santiago, I wish you the best of luck. Remember, what I told you when first became a sergeant: you represent all Latino women in the force, do not let them down. However, make sure you enjoy yourself on the job,' advised Holt in his serious, monotonous voice.

The squad parted for the day. While in the car, Amy called her parents, informing them about the good news. They, too, congratulated her. But even after the conversation with her parents, Amy still felt as though someone was still left to congratulate her.

As they reached home, Karen, who used to look after their 9-month old as well as their 4-year old (after he returned from daycare), also congratulated Amy. 'Amy!' she exclaimed while hugging her daughter-in-law, 'I've been so happy to hear the good news! Jake told me when he called to tell me you guys would be a bit late.'

'Thanks, Karen' said Amy, hugging her back.

As Karen picked up her things, she told Amy and Jake about their sons' whereabouts, 'Harry's been down for about an hour now. Mac wanted to stay up till you guys returned but he tired himself out at daycare apparently.'

'Oh sure, thanks,' replied Amy.

After bidding Karen goodbye, Jake went to take a shower while Amy walked into the nursery, checking on Harry. The boy usually slept without any trouble and also, unlike most babies of his age, slept through the night more often than not. Amy bent down and kissed him lightly on the head. 'Sleep tight, baby boy,' she whispered, slowly leaving the room.

Amy then walked into Mac's room. The boy was in his Batman pajamas and had been tucked in tightly by his grandmother. Amy sat beside him on the little bed and rubbed his back gently. 'Sweet dreams, baby,' she said as she got up slowly and walked to her own room.

As Amy got ready for bed, Jake exited the shower. They shared a smile and got into bed. Amy started working on the day's crossword puzzle while Jake just used his phone. Amy tried concentrating on the puzzle but she couldn't. She knew what the problem was. She also knew she had to talk to Jake about it.

'Jake,' said Amy slowly, 'I need to tell you something.'

'Oh?' said Jake, slowly straightening his posture, 'What is it?'

'I know everyone's congratulated me today for making lieutenant,' Amy said. Jake smiled at her words. He couldn't be prouder of her. 'But,' she continued, 'I've not felt like it's been enough.'

'You think you've been underappreciated?'

'What? No, no!' exclaimed Amy, realizing what she must have sounded like. 'I mean,' she sighed, 'I just feel like someone's yet to congratulate me.'

'Oh, who? The boys? We can try telling them tomorrow? Or are you talking about Gina?'

'No, I mean, yes, we should be telling them by tomorrow but someone else.'

Jake simply gave her a confused look. Amy realized that further explaining was required.

'Look,' Amy said, 'this is the first time I've had a female lieutenant, plus it's ME. I know how great it is and I know you all are very proud of me. I've always wanted to be an inspiration to women and you know that.'

'Ames, you have been inspiring. You've inspired all of us today and the boys will be so proud of you.'

'No, I get that, it's just…' There was no easy way to tell him this. 'Okay, here's the thing,' she said, 'Whenever I was a little girl and read about inspirational women, I always dreamed that I could be that inspirational and that all the women in my life would be proud of me – my friends, my cousins, my mom and, also, my daughter…'

Jake finally started seeing where this was going. 'Ames,' he said, 'that sounds wonderful. But you know what the doctor told us when you were pregnant with Harry. You're 41 now, the risks associated with pregnancy can increase. Besides, the boys are always gonna be proud of you.'

'I know, it's just…' she sighed. 'Never mind. I just had to talk about this with someone, I'm glad it was you. Thanks, Babe,' she said, giving him a peck and returning to her crossword puzzle.

Jake understood what his wife meant. Maybe not completely but to the extent he could empathize with her. He thought for some time and turned to talk to her again. 'Amy?' he called slowly 'Mac's just four and Harry will be a year old in about three months.'

'Yeah…?' replied Amy, unsure of where this was going.

'Another kid wouldn't be bad,' he continued.

'Jake, I'm past 40, pregnancies can be risky now.'

'No, I know that but…' he wasn't sure how she'd react to this next part, 'what do you think about adoption?'

'What?' was all she could come up with.

Jake let out another sigh, 'Look, there are unfortunate kids of all ages out there. If we want another child, we can always sign up for adoption. Plus, our case will be totally justified cause you're over forty and, you know, it's difficult for us now.'

'Seriously?'

'Seriously. What do you say?'

'I say, "I love you,"' said Amy while moving closer to kiss him. They kissed deep.

As they parted, Jake asked her, 'So, shall we start tomorrow?'

'Absolutely,' replied Amy, 'We're going to have to make a binder first with all available adoption agencies.'

'That's my girl,' said Jake as he turned off the lamps above their bed and cuddled with Amy as they fell asleep.


	5. Captain's Order

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Amy makes a shocking announcement, Holt talks to her regarding her decision.

'So,' said Holt, 'unless there is anything else, you all are dismissed.' He then looked up from his notes to scan the briefing room to see if anyone had anything to share.

Amy gently stood up with Jake's help. Ever since Amy had been pregnant again, Jake made sure he made her life easier by helping her as much as possible. 'Sir,' said Amy, 'I actually do have something to say.'

'The floor is yours, sergeant,' said Holt, yielding the podium for her. As Amy walked up to the podium slowly, she got nervous. She had no clue how to break them the news.

As she reached the podium, she let out a sigh and then began addressing the room, 'As you all know, I've been planning to take the Lieutenant's Exam next week and I've been preparing for it for almost a year. However, after talking with Jake last night, I've reconsidered and decided against it.'

The room was filled with soft whispers and murmurs following Amy's announcement. Amy couldn't make out a single one of them until Rosa spoke up, 'Wait, did Jake convince you to withdraw? I swear I'll cut off his fingers if he was the one who convinced you to drop out.' She then drew out a massive knife out of her back, scaring everyone.

Before Jake could even say a syllable, Amy replied, 'No, this was my decision. In fact, he wanted me to go ahead with the exam.' Hearing this, Rosa put the knife back from wherever she had drawn it out.

'Santiago?' asked Holt, 'Are you sure about this?' No one could understand Holt's emotions nearly a hundred percent of the time but this time they all could sense a hint of worriedness and surprise.

'Yes, sir,' replied Amy.

'You all are dismissed,' Holt addressed the room, 'Sergeant, a moment in my office,' he ordered Amy.

As Holt and Amy entered the office, Holt proceeded to lock the door and close the blinds. 'Take a seat,' he asked Amy as he went behind his own desk. Amy knew what their conversation was going to be about but she was still so nervous. Holt was, without doubt, the first person outside her family at home whose opinions she regarded very highly. Disappointing him in any way would be the last thing she would want to do.

'Sergeant, what are you doing?' asked Holt.

'Sir, I, uh… I-,' Amy stuttered.

'Santiago, what made you reach this decision and, please, tell me everything.'

Amy sighed. 'Well,' she said, 'you surely know how I've always wanted to be the youngest captain in the N.Y.P.D. But I hadn't realized how having a family would affect it. I mean, I still do want to be the youngest N.Y.P.D captain but I also need to know what's best for my family. Mac's just three and I return home later than Jake on most days. I just wish I could see him more often. This little guy is coming in three months' time and I'll be on maternity leave again. Plus, Jake and I've not had some time just to ourselves in quite some while. Look, three years ago, I'd have done anything to make lieutenant. Now, I need to consider what's best for my family. And if spending some more time with them is what they need, then so be it.'

Holt thought for some time and finally spoke, 'Santiago, balancing your professional life with your personal one is a difficult task. I cannot tell you how many times I have had the same problem with Kevin. Kevin, too, has the rare occasion when he cannot balance work and home. However, it is the way we handle problems that determine our success.

'Santiago, I cannot begin to imagine how difficult it must be for you to manage two children, albeit one on the way, not that it is easier. Coming back to the point, there is no one better than you at managing their own life. Furthermore, you have a family that is always behind you, including your infant son. You also have the Nine-Nine backing you all the way because they will always help you, regardless of the cost. Besides, if you do want to spend time with your family, I have no problem giving you fewer cases for some time. Also, once you make lieutenant, you have the liberty to manage your own hours but please do spend it wisely.'

'Thank you, sir. I'll talk to Jake tonight again and reach a final decision.'

'Santiago, you and I both know Peralta wants you to take the test and make lieutenant. Listen to me: you are taking the exam next week.'

'Sir, I-'

'Santiago, this is a direct order from your C.O. and you will act on it.'

Amy stood up and smiled. 'Well played, sir,' she said while walking to the door, 'well played.'

As she left, Holt smiled slightly, pondering how bright the future looked for his sergeant, both at work and at home.


	6. Anniversary Present

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gina lets out a shocking revelation to Harry and Liz as an anniversary present for Jake and Amy.

Gina waited outside the gate of the school for her daughter, Iggy, as well as Mac, Jake and Amy's son. The two were three years apart and didn't see much of each other at school but, whenever they could meet outside of school, they were inseparable. The two knew that today they'd be going to the Linetti household until Jake and Amy came to take them home. In fact, it was Jake and Amy's tenth anniversary; so, they had asked Gina to look after their kids.

As Gina saw them, she waved her hand and called out to them, 'Iggy! Mac!'

Seeing her mother, Iggy took Mac by the hand and walked towards her mother, which Gina found cute.

'Hey,' said Gina, while hugging her daughter, 'how was school?'

The eleven-year old tried to squirm herself out of the hug. 'Mom! Not in front of my friends!' she exclaimed.

Gina then proceeded to do the same with Mac. The boy was still young and didn't find hugging in front of his friends particularly embarrassing. As Gina walked them towards her car, she texted Jake that they were returning from school. Gina could hear the two of them talk but wasn't listening to them. She just thought how cool it was that Jake and her children went to the same school they did all those years ago. She truly thought the Universe was majestic.

As they opened the doors, two kids from the back shouted, 'Hi!' These two kids were Mac's younger brother, Harry, and sister, Liz. Harry was five years old and Elizabeth was four. Actually, Liz was adopted at the age of one. Jake and Amy wanted a daughter so desperately but, with Amy being the over the age of forty, they didn't want to take any risks. Instead, they opted for adoption. Luckily for them, Mac and Henry hadn't been skeptical about having a baby sister.

As Gina started driving, she listened to the children talk.

'Oh! Congratulate your parents on my behalf, okay?' asked Iggy to the three of them. Mac nodded slowly but the other two didn't understand.

'Why?' asked Liz.

'Because, it's your parents' anniversary,' she replied, her tone indicating it couldn't have been more obvious.

'What's _annaivirusy _?' asked Harry.__

____

____

' _Anniversary_ ,' said Mac, 'It's the day Mom and Dad got married.'

'Married? Like Uncle Charlie and Aunt Genevive?' asked Harry, the event still fresh in his mind from last month.

'Yes,' replied Mac.

Once they reached Gina's home, they had a few snacks before the two school-goers began working on their homework. The other two proceeded to watch Clifford on Gina's iPad. As Gina was going through Instagram and Twitter, the two youngest children turned to Gina.

'Auntie G?' asked Harry?

'Yeah?' asked Gina.

The two children shared a glance at each other before Harry spoke again, 'Have you ever had a dog?'

The question was perfectly simple but she wondered how such a question came across the two. 'No,' she replied.

'Do you not like dogs?' asked Liz.

'Oh, god yes!' exclaimed Gina, 'Dogs are the cutest animals on earth.'

The kids seemed confused. 'Do other people also like dogs?' asked Harry.

'Uh, YEAH!' Gina practically shouted.

'Then how come Mommy doesn't?' asked Liz.

Gina finally got it. They probably loved Clifford and wanted a dog in their home. If they had talked with one of the parents, it was definitely Jake; after all, he was the one who easily gave in to their requests. But if these two kids were asking Gina the question now, Jake had probably told them that Amy didn't like dogs or something along those lines, completely leaving out the fact that Amy was allergic to them. Gina thought for a moment. The simplest thing to do would be to tell the two children the truth about their mother. But Gina didn't like simple, especially when it came to her friends.

'That's not true,' Gina finally answered.

'But Daddy told us that Mommy didn't like dogs near her,' stated Liz.

'He lied. You know why?'

The two kids shook their heads.

'Because,' Gina started, 'Amy loves dogs but he was afraid you didn't. He didn't want you to not like dogs while Amy did.'

'But we love dogs!' exclaimed Harry.

'I know but your parents don't know about that.'

'So, if Mommy likes dogs, she'll agree to have one?'

'Oh, yes, baby, yes…'

The three of them smiled widely for completely different reasons: Harry and Liz at the thought of having a dog at home while Gina at the chaos which was to befall at the Peralta-Santiago household. Gina's order of tacos was right on time as the five of them ate and did some karaoke for about an hour and a half. The doorbell then rang and when Gina went to answer, it turned out to be Jake and Amy. The couple walked into the house and talked with Gina for some time while their kids got ready to leave.

Right at the door, Harry and Liz turned to look at their mother. 'Mommy!' exclaimed Liz 'We like dogs too!'

Jake and Amy stood frozen. They didn't understand. 'What?' asked Amy.

'Yeah!' chimed in Harry, 'Auntie G told us how Daddy and you were scared that we didn't like dogs. But we like dogs! So, we can have one now! Let's go tell Mac, Liz!' With that, the two kids ran towards the car.

'What was that?' Amy asked Gina.

'Your anniversary gift!' exclaimed Gina. 'Happy ten years, you two!' she wished them as she closed the door.


	7. The Truth about Charles

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While talking with Amy, Charles tells her about how Jake came to be his best friend.

Amy and Charles waited in the car outside the building where they expected their suspect to live. They had been waiting for some time but there were no signs of the guy. Amy looked down at the ring on her finger. She smiled remembering how Jake had brought the ultimate twist on that year's Halloween heist. She was brought back to reality by Charles when he dropped his phone on the dashboard. She sighed and started thinking again. This man was Jake's best friend. If there was anyone who knew what Jake was planning, it would be him. She wanted to ask him if he was involved in any of it but she knew how he reacted to topics regarding Jake and her. But she was already bored waiting for their guy, she decided to ask him.

'Charles?' she asked him.

'Yeah?' he replied looking up from his phone.

'Did you have any idea what Jake was planning for this heist?'

Charles smiled. 'No,' he replied, 'although he kept telling me he was nervous about the heist this year. At the time, I just thought that was what he wanted me to believe and let my guard down.'

Amy smiled. That didn't go so bad. She decided to continue the conversation on Jake. 'Okay, Charles, one more question,' she said, 'Why do you obsess over Jake?'

Charles chuckled, ''Cause he's my best friend,' he replied.

'No, Charles,' Amy said, 'No one obsesses over a best friend. I mean, do you see me obsess over Rosa?'

'Wh-what?' stammered Charles. 'Everyone obsesses over their best friend,' he stated while looking outside the window.

'Charles? What're you hiding?'

Charles sighed and then became serious. 'Okay,' he said, 'but this stays between us, alright?'

Amy simply nodded and Charles continued, 'This happened like two years before you joined the Nine-Nine. I was on a stakeout with one of my partners. It was a drugs bust. The backup, the S.W.A.T. team, the E.S.U., they were all there. We decided that I'd go from the front and he'd go from the back, closing all possible exits. When the raid started, all seemed to go to plan but then the ring leader somehow got hold of him and managed to kill him. We got the guy. When I ran to my partner, he was gasping for breath, dying but he managed to say a few words…'

'What did he say?' asked Amy, unaware of the tragedy he'd gone through.

'He said, "Where were you?"' sobbed Charles.

'Oh, my God… I'm so sorry Charles,' whispered Amy while looking for some tissue in her purse.

Charles nodded and continued, 'Anyway, I had to tell Terry and the captain what happened. Since I was the one on the case, I also had to talk to his family. They were mad at me for not having his back. Even some of the guys in the precinct gave me scornful looks every time. Even the captain said we could've planned it better.

'I was depressed until Jake talked to me. He kept telling me that it wasn't my fault and how the thinking was right but something went wrong, something out of my control. He was the one who got me back on my feet again.'

Amy smiled at those words. It may have been before she met him but it was always nice to hear beautiful things about the man she loved.

'Jake also became a closer friend and I was, and still am, really thankful to him for that. He always cared about me and looked after me. I'd never had a friend like that before. So, I made a promise to myself that I'd always support him, both as a cop and as a friend. And that's why I give him extra attention, you know? Always supporting him no matter what, always agreeing to his every idea. I just don't want to lose another friend. And I know how important his friends are. So, every time he makes a friend, I try to make sure they stay safe. The same goes with you. He'd kill himself if something happened to you. So, I try and steer you away from danger. Not that I wouldn't care about you if you weren't engaged to Jake but you get it, right?'

Amy was wiping tears of her own at this point. 'Yeah,' she said softly, 'I do. Charles, that's really sweet. But, hey, Jake knows how great a cop you are and an even greater friend. You can dial the obsessiveness a bit down, you know?'

'You sure he won't mind?' asked Charles.

'I'm sure. Plus, it's a bit creepy and annoying at times.'

'Okay. Thank you, Amy. It felt really nice to open up about that.'

'Hey, sure, anytime.'

As they both waited for their suspect, a smile was plastered on their faces – Charles at the fact that he had felt some weight was taken off his chest, Amy at the fact that she had such an amazing friend protecting her as though she were his own sister.


	8. Saying Goodbye

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Terry and Amy reminisce about their times at the Nine-Nine and saying goodbye to those closest to them.

'You called for me, captain?' Amy asked as she entered the captain's office.

'Yes, and please close the door and blinds before you sit down,' ordered Terry.

Amy did as she was ordered and sat down. She wasn't entirely sure why she was called in by Terry.

'So,' began Terry, 'the youngest captain in the history of the N.Y.P.D.? Damn, Santiago!'

Amy smiled at that. She had achieved what she always wished to. 'Well, I'm still your lieutenant for a week,' said Amy.

'Look, I know that's always been your dream but it's still such an amazing achievement.'

'Thank you,' said Amy. She sighed, 'I am gonna miss this place so badly.'

'Tell me about it,' said Terry, 'I miss it every time I'm away.'

'It's just that there are so many memories here, you know? And I mean for everyone, not just me.'

'I hear you,' Terry started chuckling softly, 'I mean remember that silly funeral we threw for Boyle's dog that humped everything?'

'Oh, yeah,' replied Amy, 'We wanted to give him closure but we somehow got Rosa to love another living being. Or when C.J. lost that whole bag of coke and Holt and Jake solved the case to get the squad back on the day shift?'

'Yes, yes, yes, that press conference was lit!' The two of them laughed for some time, remembering the memory of C.J. acting like a drunk in front of the press. 'I mean,' Terry resumed, 'the types of captains we've had over the years…Ugh! Even The Vulture was our C.O!'

'Yeah,' said Amy, shuddering at the thought, 'But it was so cool when Jake caught the Oolong Slayer and got Holt back.'

'Not cooler than Diaz and you making The Vulture ruin his own birthday party!' exclaimed Terry.

'Oh, and remember Dozerman? Man was he efficiency-obsessed!'

'Hey, didn't Peralta and you give him a heart attack that killed him when he caught you two _snorking_?'

'Yeah…Best not use that phrase….'

'I'm just quoting your husband, Santiago,' said Terry, chuckling at the memory. He then decided to get serious for a moment, 'Santiago, I know you'll miss all of us but what about your closest partner?'

'Captain, Jake and I are married. Sure I'll miss working with him but – '

'Not Peralta, Santiago. I was talking about Diaz. I believe you are the _sleuth sisters _.'__

____

____

Amy was silent for some time. She knew she'd eventually have to say goodbye to Rosa, she just didn't realize she had less than a week left. 'I haven't really thought about that,' she said slowly, 'I don't know about your time at the Six-Five but was it difficult saying goodbye to anyone when you transferred her?'

'No,' Terry said simply, 'but that did happen later.'

'Look, if you're gonna talk about one of those friends that I've never heard of, it's not gonna work 'cause Rosa suppresses her emotions, which I highly doubt this friend of yours did.'

' _A_ , you know about this friend of mine. _B_ , he suppressed his emotions, too.'

Amy thought for a moment before her eyes went large. 'Wait, a minute,' she said slowly, 'Are you talking about Holt?'

Terry simply smiled and nodded. 'It was real difficult when Holt left,' he said, 'But when it comes to suppressing feelings, Holt and Rosa are the best at that.'

'Yeah! So what you got for me, captain?' asked Amy as she took out a notepad and pen from her blazer.

'Alright, so, one thing I've learnt from Holt and Rosa over the years is that although they hide their emotions, the small things really matter to them. So it's really simple, actually. Try getting her a gift. It could be a picture of the two of you, a souvenir from one of our past cases, or anything else. Trust me, she'll cherish it.'

'Okay, what else?' asked Amy as she continued writing vigorously.

'That's it.'

'What? That's it?' imploded Amy, 'What the hell? I thought there'd be an order of tasks or something!'

'Woah! Calm down, Santiago! Look, it's not that you're never gonna see her again. It's not goodbye forever. I mean you're gonna be a captain at the Seven-Eight, which isn't that far from here. Plus, you know how often one case of theirs crosses with one of ours and vice versa. And if that happens, you're the captain there, you can put yourself on the case and, just give me the message, I'll put Diaz on it as well.'

'Thanks, captain,' Amy said. When she looked at her watch, she realized that it was time for her to get ready for her orientation at her new precinct. 'Anyway,' said Amy while getting up, 'I've got to get ready for my orientation at the Seven-Eight.'

'Alright,' said Terry, 'But this is pretty much it then, huh? The end of the Nine-Nine…'

'What?' said Amy, pausing right at the door, 'What are you talking about?'

'Well, you know, Gina's left. Holt's left, Hitchcock and Scully have retired and now you're leaving too. I mean it's just Peralta, Diaz, Boyle and me now.'

'No, it's just Peralta, Diaz, Boyle and you as the badasses of this precinct – three detectives and their captain helping a new batch of young cops and doing what's best for this city.'

'Thanks, Santiago,' Terry said. Amy smiled as she left for her orientation. Terry sighed and said to himself, 'I ain't ever getting a lieutenant/genius better than her….'


	9. Fears from the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jake and Amy open up about the fears they have from past incidents.

Jake and Amy had not had a movie night just to themselves for quite some time. Having a five-year old, a two-year old and a one-year old meant the only programs they watched were animated, slow and had lots of songs. But tonight was different. Mac was old enough to sleep alone throughout the night, Harry never had a problem sleeping throughout the night ever since he was a week old and getting Liz awake was more difficult than getting her asleep. So, if the parents had some alone time, they were sure to use it.

'So,' said Jake, 'kids are down for the night, wine in hand, movie night, it can only mean one thing: Die Hard!'

Amy simply smiled. In the past, she'd gotten tired from watching Die Hard every other movie night with Jake. But she was just glad to be able to watch an adult movie after a long time. Besides, she loved seeing Jake happy. So, they watched the movie, wine in hand. Sometimes Amy rested her head on Jake's chest and sometimes it was the other way around. They really enjoyed this alone time after a long time. They enjoyed the movie too, albeit one of them more than the other. When they went to their bedroom and got ready to sleep, Amy kept on agreeing with whatever Jake had to say.

'How hot is Holly Gennaro?'

'Yeah.'

'How cool is Bruce Willis?'

'Yup'

'The yippie-ki-yay scene – how good was that?'

'Mmm.'

'And to think, Boyle got his chance and he completely blew it.'

Amy froze at that, remembering the incident from nine years ago. Jake always adored at the fact that he was in a real life Die Hard situation but she didn't care for his jokes regarding that night. She was terrified when she finally read his texts that night. She thanked God for not letting anything happen to him.

'Ames?' Jake asked, bringing her back to reality, 'You alright? You've been staring at the wall for no reason.'

'Yeah,' she said softly, 'I'm fine.'

Jake looked at her for a while. She didn't look fine. He knew how she looked when something bothered her. He tried thinking what had worried her and then it hit him.

'Wait,' he said, 'are you worrying about that time Charles, Gina and I were in the Die Hard situation?' Amy looked at him and nodded slowly. Jake then took her hand in his and told her, 'Ames, you don't need to worry about that. Look, it's in the past now.'

Amy sighed before speaking, 'I know that but it's just scary whenever I look at it back again. And not just that one, you know? But so many other situations we were in.'

'Ames, I get that but we survived those. Why are you still worrying about them?'

'Look, I get you find it cool that you survived those but I find them terrifying. I mean, you could've died and we had just started dating a few months back. We hadn't even said, "I love you," to each other then,' Amy said when recalling the incident.

'I know it's scary but that's part of our job. It's scary, especially when you have a family, but we signed up for this when we decided to be cops.'

'You're right, you're right. But can we not talk about these things of the past as far as possible?'

'Sure,' said Jake as he kissed the top of her head and held her in his arms.

'I know it's all of the past but they still terrify me. I mean, isn't there anything that you are scared about from the past that you feel will one day return to haunt you?' It was Jake's turn to freeze now. There was something that terrified him to his core and was afraid it would blow up in his face again. 'Jake, what's wrong?'

'Well,' he said slowly, 'I too have fears from the past…'

'Oh,' said Amy, straightening herself, 'Well, do you wanna talk about it?'

'No, it's stupid.'

'Jake…' Amy said as she gave a look demanding him to be serious. Seeing no way out, Jake gave in.

'Okay,' he said, as he cleared his throat, 'Remember how we decided to keep things light and breezy at first and that didn't work out and we went back to just being colleagues again? Well, I'm worried that can happen again…'

'Aw, Jake…' Amy said, wrapping her arms around him. But then she smacked him on the back of his head.

'Ow! What was that for?' asked Jake while rubbing his head.

'Because that WAS stupid,' replied Amy, 'How could you possibly think we're gonna separate?'

'I don't know,' said Jake. He then sighed before speaking again, 'I mean, you're really, really great, I can't even describe it in words. I'm scared that one day you'll be tired of me or something.'

Hearing those words, Amy took her husband's hands in hers and began to speak, 'Jake, do you know how many guys have been honest with me, respected me as a person, communicated with me, made me feel special, surprised me, honestly cared for me, made the best plans, stayed by me during my mood swings, apologized sincerely when they're wrong, supported me no matter what, had common interests with me, complimented me every day, won my heart, been on their best behavior for me, given me space when I need it, been my best friend, and never taken me for granted?' Looking at Jake's confused expression, she decided to elaborate further, 'Do you know how many guys I've moved in with, been engaged to, married, bought a house, and had three kids with, one of whom was adopted?'

Jake smiled and answered, 'Well, I hope this isn't a confession about your past or anything.'

Amy laughed softly before speaking again, 'My point is, all of those reasons are more than enough to tell myself, "Yes, Jake Peralta is the right one for me." Trust me Jake, I'm so lucky to be with you, I'll never let anything get in our way and I know you won't either." Jake finally looked relieved. Amy then moved closer to kiss him. The kiss lasted longer than intended but, as they broke apart, Amy spoke again, 'Now that I think about it, I may have left out one point in my list.'

'What's that?' asked Jake.

'Sex with you is the best!' Amy said as they proceeded to show one another how much they loved each other.


	10. Birthday Present

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jake wishes he could have given his grandmother her birthday present sooner.

Jake stood in front of the headstone reading: 'Anne Peralta: May 2, 1927 – November 29, 2006'. It was the tombstone of his late grandmother.

'Hey, Nana,' Jake spoke to the headstone, 'It's me, Pineapples. I know, I haven't visited in quite some time. I've been busy, which is still no excuse for not visiting.

'So,' Jake sighed, 'you'd have been a hundred today. Happy Birthday, Nana…

'Let's see,' said Jake, trying to remember something, 'The first birthday I remember having was my fifth. Yeah, Mom and you baked this fantastic cake. But it was the gift you gave me that I'll cherish for always – my very first Knicks jersey.'

Jake smiled, remembering the moment he opened the present given to him by his grandmother. 'Two years later,' he continued, 'it was hardly a party. Mom was in the other room, shouting through the phone, asking Dad to come home for his son's birthday. We didn't have anyone over apart from Gina. You got me my very first comic book – it was Superman. You were the best at giving presents, Nana.

'I don't know how often Gina comes here but, just to keep you up, she's had a baby, Enigma "Iggy" Linetti. Yeah, she's nine and looks just the same way Gina did all those years ago.

'Nana,' sighed Jake, 'thank you so much for always being there. When dad left, when mom was working late, whenever I was sick, and other times as well, thank you. I was so lucky to have you as a grand-mom. Gina says you were the best guardian she could've ever asked for. Dad was so lucky having you as a mom, kinda makes me jealous at times.

'Every time you had to pick me from school, and sometimes even Gina too, you'd take us to the ice-cream parlor just across the street. Getting to meet you at the end of the day was what got me through each day at school.

Jake sighed again before continuing, 'You have no idea how happy I was, how lucky I was when I moved into your apartment. I'm so embarrassed to say that I had to give it up when I couldn't pay my rent. But that was the old me. I don't make half as bad decisions anymore.'

Jake heard the rustling of a few leaves in the distance. As he turned around, he couldn't help but smile at the site of an elder brother holding his younger brother's hand and making their way towards him while their mother carried their baby sister while walking behind them. That was his family.

As the four people reached him, Jake took his youngest son in his arms. Jake then continued, 'Nana, you were the best at giving birthday presents but I don't think I ever got you one. For what would have been your hundredth, I'm bringing my family as your present.'

Jake then took Amy's hand as he balanced his son on his other hand while Amy did the same with her daughter. 'You remember Amy, right?' he began. 'You knew her as my fiancée but we got married eight years ago. She's a great lieutenant, the most perfect wife, and the best mother any child could have. She can do anything. Well, apart from cooking maybe,' earning himself a soft chuckle from Amy.

'This little guy right standing right in front of you is Mac, our eldest. You've met him once, when I brought him here a few months after he was born. He's heard so many stories about you and made a drawing and a card for you.

'This one in my arms is Harry. He's very sweet and he always listens to his parents. He's never caused us any trouble.

'The little girl Amy's carrying is Liz. Since she's the youngest, she's gets special attention and lots of love from others. But she's not spoiled.'

'Mac, why don't you give Nana the drawings, sweetie?' advised Amy. The six-year old did as advised and also began describing his card and drawing to the headstone. 'Sorry we were late,' Amy said to Jake, 'But Liz was asleep and you know how difficult it is to wake her up.'

Jake smiled before replying, 'It's okay.' He then planted a kiss on his wife's head before saying, 'You're all here now.'

As Jake stood with his family, watching their eldest try and interact with the headstone as much as possible, he smiled as he remembered something his grandmother told him around the time his parents got divorced, 'Pineapples, the most important things in the world are family and love. Do not take them for granted.' And Jake never did.


	11. Doubts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amy has some doubts regarding her pregnancy.

As Jake entered his home, he could hear Amy and Mac's voices from the living room. Hearing their laughs made Jake smile. It wasn't often than Amy got to return home earlier than he did as she was the lieutenant. But, today, Jake was on a stakeout, which lasted longer than expected, making Amy the parent to return home earlier that day. As Jake entered the room, he saw that Amy and Mac were playing. Amy held both her fists out and Mac was trying to guess which fist hid his toy car.

'Can I venture a guess?' asked Jake while walking towards them.

'Daddy!' the little boy exclaimed while running to his father. Jake picked him up as he walked towards their couch, where Amy was. He sat down as he gave her a peck on the lips.

'So, it must have felt nice to be the parent returning home earlier, huh?' he asked her.

'It was,' she replied, 'How was the stakeout?'

'It was a success. Felt nice working on a case with Terry after so long.'

'I get it. I don't work on cases with Charles often but he's really cooperative.'

'Yeah. Hey, as I was returning, I saw a really beautiful necklace in the windows of one of the jewelry stores. But I didn't buy it. I took a picture to see if you'd like it.'

'Aw, Jake, that's so sweet. But I'm sure I would've love it. I mean, you know what suits me,' Amy said, absolutely beaming.

'That's cute, Ames, but it's not for you.'

'What?' asked Amy, her smile slowly fading away.

'You honestly didn't think I'd ask you before buying you a gift, did you?' asked Jake as he put their son down in order to take out his phone. 'It's for your mom,' Jake said, while showing the picture to Amy.

'Wow, that's beautiful. And the price seems reasonable too,' Amy said as she took his phone from his hands.

'Blue,' their two-year old commented as he stretched to look at the photo. Amy smiled and ruffled his hair.

'You know,' said Amy while handing Jake his phone back, 'Mac looked really adorable in the bath, what with all the bubbles. I've taken some pictures.' She searched her pockets for her phone but they were empty. 'Oh, I think I left it in the bathroom,' she said, 'Mac, can you be a good boy and bring me my phone? It's right beside the tap of the tub.' The little boy smiled and scampered away.

As he returned, Amy saw the infant holding her phone in one hand and something else in the other. At first, she didn't recognize it but as he approached them on the couch, she figured out what it was.

'Hey, Buddy, what you got there?' asked Jake as he too was curious what the object was.

'No!' shouted Amy, getting up and taking the object from his hand. She then took her phone, unlocked it and showed Jake the pictures she was talking about. 'Look!' she said, trying to make him forget what had happened, 'Look how cute he is!'

Jake had no idea what had just happened. 'Okay,,,' he said slowly, 'I can't pretend that that just didn't happen.'

Amy sighed as she looked at Mac. 'Baby, can you go play in the other room?' Amy requested her son. He hand no problem with that and ran away. 'Okay,' she said slowly while showing him the object, 'This is a pregnancy test I took earlier today.' Jake's eyes went wide as he looked the test. There were two lines. 'I'm pregnant,' Amy said, clearing his doubt.

'Oh, my God…' Jake said slowly.

'Please tell me what you think, Jake because I – ' she was cut off by Jake pressing his lips against hers. As they parted, a smile was plastered on both their faces. 'You're happy?' she asked him.

'Of course, Ames! We're gonna be parents again! Mac's gonna have a baby sibling! It's gonna be amazing!' replied Jake.

'Oh, thank God,' Amy said while pulling him into a hug, 'I was afraid you'd be worried.'

'Worried? Why would I be worried?' Jake asked as he pulled them apart. He then saw it. Amy may have been smiling but her eyes were saying otherwise. 'Amy?' he asked, 'Are you worried?'

Amy nodded slowly. She was having a baby with Jake! Again! She felt she should have been happy instead of worried. 'It's just that I'm supposed to take the lieutenant's exam in about six months and I don't know how this is gonna affect it all. I mean, is Holt gonna ask me to pause my plans? And, also, how is Mac gonna react to having a baby sister or baby brother? I'm sorry I'm so scared,' Amy said. She began letting a few tears loose towards the end.

Jake took her in his arms again as he laid themselves back on the couch. He then began stroking her hair while answering, 'Ames, it's gonna be alright. Holt wants you to do whatever you want. He knows what's right and he'll always mentor you. A baby's not gonna change that. I mean, he hardly softens his behavior when Mac is around him, I doubt a baby growing inside of you is gonna soften him up. So, if you want to take that test, he's not gonna stop you. As for Mac, well we've taught him so much so well. He's fascinated by babies, that boy. And, sure, they may fight sometimes but he'll always love his sibling.'

Amy looked up at him with eyes full of love. He was such a great man, she wished she could show that to him every day. She moved up and gently kissed him. 'I love you so much,' she told him while cupping his face.

'I love you so much too,' he replied back, one hand on her belly, 'And I love our new baby too.'

She smiled at his words before speaking up again, 'You know, maybe we should refrain from telling Mac until after my mom's birthday. The last thing we need is a two-year old going around a room telling people we don't even know that he's gonna be a big brother.'

'Duly noted,' said Jake before they both got up to get their son ready for dinner.


	12. Cheddar Saves the Night

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cheddar helps Jake and Amy when Harry is missing something.

Jake and Amy stood in front of Holt's door, nervous and trying to compose themselves. Tonight marked one week since Holt, Terry and Amy got their promotions to commissioner, captain and lieutenant respectively. Kevin and Holt were hosting this party for the squad tonight but Jake and Amy hadn't had the easiest time getting their two kids ready.

_ Flashback: _

__

__

_'Daddy, I'm hungry,' Mac said while tugging his father's sleeve._

_'I'm sorry, Mac, but we're gonna leave anytime now and then you can eat all you want at Grandpa Holt's,' Jake reasoned._

_'But I want you to make pasta!'_

_'Mac, I'm not gonna make you pasta. We're supposed to go to Grandpa Holt's.'_

_'I want pasta! I want pasta! I want pasta!' The boy was now throwing a tantrum._

Present time:

The family of four entered the house. As they entered, they were greeted by Kevin, 'Jake, Amy, Mac, Harry, welcome.'

'Thanks, Kevin,' Amy said.

'The others are in the living room,' Kevin said while pointing down the hallway. Jake and Amy nodded and the family entered the room. There, they realized they were the last ones to arrive. There was Rosa, standing by the window with a drink in hand, Gina was playing with a little trinket on the coffee table, Holt was sitting straight, emotionless as always, Charles and Genevieve were on the couch softly talking to themselves, Terry and Sharon were doing the same on the couch opposite to the, and Hitchcock and Scully were sitting in chairs, slowly dozing off.

'Oh, look who decided to drop by?' Gina said after seeing the family.

After the four of them exchanged greetings with all the people in the room, Charles spoke up, 'You know, the kids are in the room upstairs. I'm sure Mac and Harry would enjoy themselves with them.'

'That's nice,' said Jake, 'But Mac is really hungry. He was really fussy. I think we need to give him something to eat before he throws a tantrum again.'

'Oh, well there are plenty of snacks in the room where the kids are,' Holt said. Jake was relieved at that

'Oh, Mac, you think you can take Harry upstairs?'

'Yeah!' the boy exclaimed, excited by the fact that there was room full of his friends and snacks. Amy put their one-year old down as his elder brother took him by the hand and walked upstairs.

As the adults started mingling with each other, Amy started conversing with Rosa.

'So,' said Rosa, 'how'd the Peralta-Santiagos, the family with the mom always planning everything, arrive last to their boss' party?'

Amy laughed slightly. She knew Rosa wasn't judging her or anything but these things mattered to her. 'Oh, you heard Jake,' she said, not wanting to elaborate further.

'Dude, come on,' said Rosa, 'Whenever I look after your kids, you leave me with the binder telling me what to do when your kid throws a tantrum. I know he settled for a granola bar. So, what really made you late?

_ Flashback: _

__

__

_Amy stormed into their room. Jake saw she was annoyed. 'What happened now?' he asked her._

_Amy sighed as she tried removing a stain from her dress. 'I'm telling you,' she said, 'Harry's too smart for his age. How on earth did he manage to remove the spout from his sippy cup and throw the juice at me? This is the third dress he's ruined today.'_

_'Three?' asked Jake loudly, seemingly unaware._

_Amy sighed again, 'Have you not been listening to me? First, he got soap all over me when SOMEONE suggested giving a one-year old a bath while wearing a dress would be fine. Then, he decided to spit on me while I was pouring him his juice. And now, he's splashed me with juice.'_

_Jake sighed at how bad the night was going. 'I'm sorry,' he said, 'but at least Mac's enjoying his granola bar.'_

_'That's nice,' Amy said. 'I think I'm gonna have to change again,' she said while opening their wardrobe._

_'Do you have any dresses left?'_

_'Just two old ones.'_

_'Okay, you get changed again and I'll go check on the boys,' Jake said as he got up to leave._

_'Wait!' said Amy, causing Jake to turn back. 'Which dress do you think I should wear?' she asked him holding up both dresses._

_Usually, Jake would tell her that she'd look fantastic whatever she'd wear, making her choose her own outfit. But he really loved one of the dresses._

Present time:

Amy smiled as she looked down at dress she was wearing – it was the same one she had worn to their first date nearly eight years ago. She was brought back to reality when she felt a tug on her dress.

'Mommy, Harry's crying a lot,' Mac informed her.

Amy looked at her watch before answering, 'I think he wants some milk. I'll be up there in a minute.'

Mac nodded as he went back and Amy went to the car to get Harry his bottle. As she entered the room where the kids were, she saw Harry crying at the top of his lungs, Mac and Iggy trying their best to calm him down. Amy approached her son. 'Baby, what's wrong?' she asked as she sat down and placed him on her lap. 'Do you want some milk?' she asked him while showing him the bottle.

The boy had stopped bawling considerably but was still sobbing. 'Red Ranger,' he mumbled and Amy understood.

'Mac, have you seen your brother's action figure?' Mac simply shook his head. Amy then began searching under the cushions for the figurine but she couldn't find it. 'Maybe you didn't have it, Sweetie,' said Amy but it only made Harry cry.

'No!' he cried.

Amy figured he just wanted to be with Jake and some of his uncles and aunts. So she carried him down. 'Look, Daddy's here!' she said while carrying him to Jake.

'Hey, Harry,' said Jake, 'what's the matter?'

'He misses Red Ranger.'

'Well, why doesn't he just play with him then?'

'Because, he's at home.'

'No, I gave him to Harry right before we left.'

Amy gave Jake a worried look as Harry started crying loudly again. 'Oh Baby, it's okay. We'll find Red Ranger,' she cooed.

Jake and Amy searched for the toy everywhere from their car to the washrooms in the house. The last thing they needed was for their son to cry about losing a toy. They were about to give up and go home because of Harry's fussiness but then Holt approached them.

'Peralta, Santiago, I believe this is your son's,' Holt said while handing them the little figure their son had been pining about for almost an hour now.

'Commissioner, thank you,' said Jake.

'Yeah, where'd you find it?' asked Amy. Before Holt could answer, Amy sneezed, making it clear as to who found it.

'It was Cheddar,' Holt said, confirming their suspicions, 'I hope your baby is satisfied and we can go back to enjoying the party.'

'Absolutely,' said Amy as she gave her son the toy.

Just when she was about to join the others, she spotted Cheddar and went up to him. 'Thanks, Cheddar,' she said while softly patting him, 'You really saved the night.' Amy then sneezed. 'Okay, better go now before my allergies kick in,' she said as she joined her friends.


	13. I'll Always Support You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Victor and Camila start judging their grandchildren the same way their parents were judged, Amy has had enough.

As Jake entered his home with his two sons, he kept on thinking how badly the dinner with Amy's parents had gone.

'Boys, why don't you go watch T.V.?' Jake suggested them.

Harry scampered away but Mac looked at his father. 'Daddy?' the boy asked.

'Yeah?' said Jake.

'Is Mommy fine? Are we still gonna meet Grandpa and Grandma during Christmas?'

'Yes, Mommy's fine and we're gonna meet Grandpa and Grandma for Christmas,' Jake reassured him.

As the boy walked away, Jake kept on replaying the events at the restaurant. Victor and Camila had invited David and Amy's families to celebrate the first birthday of David and Megan's daughter, Caitlyn, as well as Liz being part of Jake and Amy's family. Despite how things had gone down in the past, Jake thought that, with the presence of four kids, everything would go down without a hitch. Boy, was he wrong.

_ Flashback: _

_As the food was being served, Camila turned towards her two children. 'Are you two sure that we can't get anything for Cate and Liz?' she asked them._

_'Oh, that's alright,' replied Amy, 'Liz loves applesauce. I have her bottle and some berries in my bag in case she wants something else.'_

_'Absolutely,' David replied, 'Besides, if Cate here wants something else, I can give her the mashed potatoes from my plate.'_

_Camila smiled at his words before speaking again, 'Oh, that's very sweet, David, getting something your child may also be able to have. I don't see how Amy can share her soup if Liz wants something other than fruits.'_

_There it was. The favorite child saga. Jake thought that it was really unnecessary to compare their parenting skills. He knew Amy was raging inside. So he held her hand and lovingly rubbed it in an attempt to calm her. This seemed to work until dessert._

_After the birthday candle was blown out and cake was served to everybody, Victor proceeded to feed the birthday girl and Jake fed his daughter. 'Dad, you don't need to feed her,' said David, 'If she has a plastic spoon or fork, she can eat on her own.' They asked for a plastic spoon from one of the waiters. After handing her the spoon, Cate promptly continued eating, albeit a bit sloppily._

_'Oh, how wonderful is that!' exclaimed Victor._

_'Yes, it is,' agreed Camila. She then turned to look at both sets of parents before speaking again, 'You know, I cannot help but notice how Cate and Liz are roughly the same age but Cate has learned so many more things than Liz has. Maybe if Liz spent more time with Cate, she'd learn some new things too.'_

_That was the last straw. Amy dropped her silverware and began speaking in a low but angry voice, 'Mom, Dad, I know David's been your favorite child since forever and that you see him in a different light. It pressurized me to the extent that I started smoking. But when I had Mac, I promised myself that I'd be happy no matter what he did because I knew that he'd do the best he could and I'd love him no matter what. Maybe I was able to live with the fact that you favored one of your children over the others. But now, you're comparing your grandchildren, kids who you're supposed to love and support no matter what. On top of that, Liz and Cate are just a year old. Why does it matter who can eat by themselves when they don't even know what's going on?' Amy got up from her seat. Jake tried stopping her but Amy carried Liz up before speaking again, 'You may have judged your eight children but I will not let you judge my three kids.' With that, Amy left the restaurant with Liz._

Present Time:

As Jake walked toward the nursery, he could hear sounds from the baby keyboard. The keyboard had been a gift from Holt to Liz. It wasn't the first time he heard sounds from it but it certainly was the first time he heard a song being played from it. When he looked into the nursery, what he saw melted his heart – Liz was behind the keyboard, being taught by Amy how to play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star. 'Hey,' he said tapping the nursery door as he sat down beside his wife and daughter, 'I didn't know you could play the keyboard.'

'Yeah, when your picture is on the piano, which no one plays, you tend to wanna see your frame and you learn a few things,' replied Amy.

'So, what else you know?'

'Just a few simple ones – Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Clementine, She'll be Coming Round the Mountains,' replied Amy. She was obviously still hung up on whatever had happened in the restaurant. But Jake thought it would be best to refrain from that subject. 'Where're the boys?' asked Amy.

'They're watching T.V.'

Amy scoffed at that. 'If only my parents knew our boys were watching T.V. past eight,' she said, 'they'd reprimand us for life.' Jake sighed at the fact that they somehow reached the subject he was trying to make them avoid before Amy spoke up again, 'Did you ever find me too demanding?'

'What? No!' replied Jake.

Amy looked at him seriously. 'Jake, just be honest with me. Ever since we started dating, did you ever feel I was too demanding of you in our relationship?' she asked him again.

Jake sighed before answering, 'Amy, you weren't too demanding, you were just the right amount of demanding.'

'Ugh… Jake, that's nonsense.'

'No, it's not,' he said while moving closer to her, 'Look, every relationship requires some amount of sacrifice from both parties and ours was no different. Yes, you demanded of me to give up a few things but I did the same to you, I demanded you change a few things as well.'

'So, you don't regret giving in to those demands?'

'Well, if I resisted, I don't think I would be in this house, married to the most awesome woman I know, who is also the mother of my three kids. So, no, I don't regret anything,' said Jake as he kissed the top of her head.

'You don't think I demand too much from the kids, do you?'

'Of course not.'

Amy sighed as she sat Liz down on her lap. 'I know what happens when you pressurize a child. They're supposed to enjoy whatever they do. I mean, there is so much they could learn just from enjoying. And I guess they'll always be giving their best when their enjoying, right? I just don't want them to be scared of me when they make small, meaningless mistakes because they think I'll love them less,' Amy said.

Jake smiled at her words. 'Ames,' he said, 'you're already such a cool mom. I mean, you still keep the drawings Mac and Harry make at daycare.'

She looked at him with a slightly confused expression. 'Don't you?' she asked.

'I do,' he replied, 'I keep them in my bag but you frame them and keep them on your desk.'

'Of course, I do. They're so sweet.'

'I mean,' Jake said slowly, 'they aren't exactly the works of Picasso or anything –'

'It's the thought that matters, Jake,' she interjected.

'Yeah, my point is,' he continued, 'whenever they show me a picture they want to give you, they always ask if you'll like it. And no matter how many times I tell them that it's perfect, they aren't convinced until you smile, hug, kiss, hug and thank them. You're encouraging them so much already, they already know you'll always back them.'

Amy smiled at his words and they both shared a soft kiss. As the parted, Liz yawned, indicating them that it was bed time for the kids. After getting Liz asleep, Jake and Amy went to put Harry and Mac to bed.

As they were tucking Mac in, he had something to say, 'Daddy, Mommy, I know what I want to be when I grow up.'

'Really? What's that?' asked Jake.

'A firefighter!' exclaimed the boy.

Both parents shared a worried look before Amy spoke again, 'What are you talking about, Mac?'

'A firefighter,' he said, his tone indicating that it was obvious, 'Like the one that helped Curious George down that tree when he was stuck.'

'Uh…okay, Baby. Goodnight.'

As they left the room, Amy turned to Jake. 'I know we said we'd support our kids no matter what,' she said, 'but we've got to make sure he doesn't become a firefighter!'


	14. Perfect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jake and Amy slow dance at Charles and Genevieve's wedding.

Jake and Amy looked at each other from opposite sides at the altar. They couldn't help but smile at how beautiful the other looked. Amy thought Jake looked really hot in his tuxedo and Jake felt Amy couldn't look any more beautiful in her dress. They kept their eyes fixed on one another until the officiator started, 'Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to join Charles Boyle and Genevieve Mirren-Carter in matrimony…'

After the ceremony and the reception, all guests were invited to the floor after the newly wed couple's first dance. Jake and Amy, Holt and Kevin, and Terry and Sharon were just a few couples who decided to slow dance. As they danced, Jake and Amy started talking.

'Have I told you how gorgeous you look today?' asked Jake.

'Umm… let's think. You've called me "beautiful" ten times, "pretty" once, "lovely" seven times… So, no, you haven't told me gorgeous I look today,' said Amy, laughing slightly.

'Well, you do,' said Jake as he looked up at Charles and Genevieve, 'Well, they finally did it.'

Amy turned around to look at the couple, 'Yeah. Why'd they wait so long?'

'Well,' Jake said as they resumed their dance, 'form what Charles told me, Genevieve had a messy divorce and was scared that it could happen with her and Charles.'

'Hmm… I wonder what it's like to go through such a thing.'

'Well, I hope it never happens to us.'

Amy looked at him with a very sincere smile before speaking. 'Trust me,' she said, 'it won't.' She went on to rest her head against his chest. They then saw Nikolaj run past them as he went to join his parents.

'It's so good for Niko too, you know? Finally living with parents, who are married.'

'Jake,' Amy groaned while slightly slapping his arm, 'there's nothing wrong with your parents not being married as long as they still love each other and love you. You know that full well.'

'Still, it's weird. It's like having parents but not _parents_ parents.'

She again slapped his arm before speaking again, 'Jake, that's like saying adopting means having a child but not a _child_ child.'

Jake sighed seeing both her point as well as his mistake. 'Sorry,' he said, 'I didn't mean that.'

Amy kissed him on the cheek before replying, 'It's okay, I know you didn't.'

'We owe them so much for helping us with Liz's adoption.'

'We do. They made the whole process a hundred times easier. They really made our family complete, didn't they?'

'Yeah, Charles has really helped us over the years, hasn't he? I mean, he practically saved our wedding, got me in time for Mac's birth at the precinct; there's a reason he's our children's godfather.'

Amy smiled at that, 'Speaking of which, have you seen them since dinner?'

'Yeah, they were with the other kids, playing outside.'

Amy looked outside. It was already dark. 'Oh, my God,' she said, her tone indicating she was worried, 'Jake, it's so dark. If they're running around, they could trip and get a nasty cut and –'

'Woah! Ames, calm down,' Jake said while stroking her hair, 'Look, there are adults everywhere here. If, something happens to any one of them, we can expect someone carrying our baby to us and telling us what happened.'

'You're right, you're right,' said Amy as she again rested her head on her husband's chest. They continued dancing until Amy spoke up again, 'Hey, you remember dancing at our wedding?'

Jake smiled at the memory. 'Oh, yeah,' he said, 'I was so scared dancing in front of our friends.'

'Yeah, what was that about?'

'Well, I was afraid you'd constantly step on me and our friends would make fun of us.'

For the third time, Amy slapped him on on his arm. 'Hey!' she exclaimed, 'I wasn't that bad!'

'That's what surprised me.'

'Well, we had been going to weddings for three years together by then. So, I got to practice a lot with you.'

Jake smiled as they quietly danced. 'Hey,' he said, breaking the silence, 'our lives turned out great, didn't it?'

'The greatest,' she replied, 'Then three people made it the best thing in the world.' Right on cue, their three children ran towards them on the dance floor.

'Woah, you three,' said Jake. 'What's the matter? Why'd you all come up here?'

'They told us you wanted us to join you,' said Mac.

'Who?' asked Amy.

'Auntie Ro-Ro and Auntie G,' replied Harry. Jake and Amy looked at the corner of the room to see Rosa and Gina smiling and raising their glasses to them.

'You don't want us here?' asked Liz.

'No,' said Jake, picking up their daughter, 'we do want you to dance with us. Right, Ames?'

'Oh, yes,' said Amy, who then carried Harry as the family of five danced together.

Amy and Jake shared a look, one that told each other how perfect their lives were.


	15. A Day at the Playground

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rosa acts on instinct when trying to protect Amy and the kids.

Rosa walked into the playground. She saw the different parents and their children enjoying themselves. She hadn't met Amy in about a month ever since the later had made captain at the Seven-Eight. They had been planning to go to someplace else but Amy's kids desperately wanted to go to the playground. So, they two women agreed to meet up at the playground before going out. Besides, it gave Rosa the chance to meet her godchildren too.

'Hey,' said Rosa as she walked up to Amy, who was sitting on the bench.

'Hey, Rosa,' said Amy 'Can you just wait five minutes? Harry and Liz just got on the see-saw. It's gonna take some time until they're done.'

'Sure, man,' said Rosa as she sat down.

'So, how've you been?'

'Fine.'

'How cool is Terry as captain?'

'Pretty darn cool. He's Top Dog Terry.'

Just then, Mac walked up to the two of them, helping a little girl along. Amy didn't recognize the girl and was about to ask about her until Mac spoke first.

'Mommy,' the boy said, 'Tina cut herself when she fell of the swing. Can you put a band-aid on her?'

Amy was surprised and proud of her son's compassion. 'Oh, uh, sure,' she said while taking out a band-aid from her bag. 'Here, show me your cut,' she asked the girl. The girl put her finger out as Amy first wiped the dirt off it using a cloth and wrapped the band-aid around the wound.

'Thank you,' Tina said softly.

'Oh, you're welcome, sweetie,' Amy said. 'Play safely,' she shouted out as the two ran back to the swings.

'You really taught your kids well, didn't you, captain?' said Rosa.

'Thanks,' said Amy.

'Amy?' said a voice behind her. Amy recognized that voice. She hated it. She slowly turned around and realized she had guessed correctly.

'Hey, Teddy,' she said slowly.

'That was really sweet – thanks for helping my daughter.'

'Oh!' said Amy, surprised at the coincidence, 'Oh, that was your daughter?'

'Yeah, yeah,' replied Teddy, 'Remember we were in that competition for the stroller? You're scary friend was there?'

'Hey,' said Rosa, unimpressed by the fact that they had to talk to Teddy.

'Oh! Rosa!' said Teddy, unaware that she was right beside Amy, 'You're here too.' He cleared his throat before speaking again, 'Anyway, thank you for helping Tina.'

'Oh, not a problem,' said Amy.

'It was nice seeing you,' said Teddy.

'Yeah, you too.'

'Was it?' Rosa mumbled to Amy.

'Oh, before I forget,' said Teddy while turning around and getting down on one knee, 'Amy Santiago, will you marry me?' This was what Amy was dreading the most. He'd done this three times already in the past. Plus, this was in front of her kids as well as his daughter.

The next thing Amy knew was that she was opening the door of her home for her three children as well as Rosa, who had blood all over her sprained hand.

'Kids, go watch T.V. or something, okay?' Amy asked her kids.

'But Mommy – '

'Please, not now Harry,' Amy interjected her son, 'I'll get you ice cream later.' With that, the three kids ran to the T.V.

'Dude, I'm fine,' said Rosa.

'Oh, shut up!' snapped Amy as the two of them walked to the kitchen. Amy took out a pack of therapeutic ice and wrapped it in a cloth before giving it to Rosa. 'What the hell was that?' she snapped at Rosa.

Just then Jake walked down as well. 'Damn, Rosa!' he said, 'You punched a guy in the playground? The kids told me.'

Rosa sighed before speaking. 'Look,' she said to Amy, 'Teddy was proposing to you, AGAIN! The guy's done it three times already. How many more times is this thing gonna go on?'

'Wait, the guy was Teddy?' said Jake. 'Oh, this just got A LOT better!' he said while grinning the same way his children did when they got ice cream.

'Jake, stop that!' Amy told her husband. 'Look,' she said while turning to Rosa, 'I get that. But it's not like I'm ever gonna accept it.'

'Dude, I know that,' said Rosa, 'but how many times is he gonna act like a jerk with you?'

'Well, would you rather have the children see their godmother and favorite aunt leave some parent bleeding in the playground?'

'Would you rather have your kids see some idiot propose to you in front of them?' Amy went silent. 'Thought not,' said Rosa.

'Look, it's very sweet of you to watch out for the kids and me. But Rosa, you've got to understand that even though it's right, there are some things we just can't do in front of children. And I'm talking about children in general, not just mine. I mean, it's the same reason Jake and I don't kiss each other a lot in front of the kids 'cause they think it's disgusting or why we don't talk about our cases in front of them because we're afraid it'll scare them.'

Rosa sighed after understanding her friend's point. 'Okay,' she said, 'I suppose I can change a few of my habits when the kids are around.'

'Thanks,' said Amy.

'Sorry for punching Teddy in the face,' said Rosa.

'Thank you for watching out for my family,' said Amy with a smile. 'Although I am gonna have to report to Terry about what happened. You'll probably be suspended for a week,' she informed her.

'Damn it!' screamed Rosa.

'Hug?' asked Amy while opening her arms.

'Hug,' said Rosa as the two hugged each other.

'We're still having ice cream, right?' asked Jake.

'Not now, Jake!' the two of them shouted at once, letting the man know he was to leave the two alone.


	16. Troubles from the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jake and Amy realize that they're troubled by one another's past relationship.

'I don't see why we had to bring the kids,' said Jake as he carried two shopping bags as well as his two-year old and was holding his five-year old son's hand as they walked through the mall.

'Because,' replied Amy, who was carrying their year old daughter, the baby bag, and one shopping bag, 'it's Liz's first Christmas, with us at least. You know how we take the kids to the mall for their first Christmas. They need to see how the world is outside.'

'We could've left the boys with my parents or Charles or someone else.'

'Jake, I don't need you to be fussy,' Amy say firmly, 'Besides, the boys love the mall, especially during Christmas.'

'Ugh, fine. Where do we need to go now?'

'We just need to buy chocolates for each family and we're done.'

After buying the necessary number of boxes of chocolates, the family was about to left the mall and entered the parking lot. They put the bags in the compartment at the back and strapped their children in. Just as they were about to get in, someone called Jake.

'Jake? Jake Peralta?' the voice asked. As Jake and Amy turned around, they groaned at who it was. 'It's me – Sophia. Oh, Amy's here too,' she said after finally noticing his wife.

'Hey, Sophia!' Jake said and Amy waved at her, flashing her wedding ring on her finger in the process. 'How've you been?' asked Jake.

'Uh…fine, I've been fine,' replied Sophia. She seemed completely flustered by the fact that Amy was there. 'And you?' she asked Jake.

'We've been good,' answered Jake. Hearing him saying we instead of I caused Sophia to feel even more uncomfortable. Amy smiled at this. She never really liked Sophia. It was about to get better for Amy.

Just then, Mac opened his window. 'Daddy, can we go home now? I'm hungry,' the boy said. Sophia was really uncomfortable now. Amy couldn't help but think how much she loved her son.

'Oh, uh, so-sorry,' Sophia stammered. 'I'll leave now. It was nice to see you,' she said. Amy was enjoying herself so much. She knew all good things had to end but even she couldn't have guessed how this was going to end.

'Sophia, wait,' said Jake, surprising both Amy as well as Sophia, 'We have some time, why don't we catch up?' he suggested. 'Mac, there are granola bars in the seat in front of you,' he told his son.

So, now, Jake and Sophia were catching up, Mac was enjoying granola bars, and the other two children were already asleep. So, everyone was enjoying. Well, everyone but Amy. She wanted Sophia nowhere near her and yet she was now smiling and nodding along to whatever Jake and Sophia were talking about. When the conversation finally ended, which seemed like an eternity to Amy, they finally got in the car and went home. The ride was mostly quiet apart from Mac, who was amazed by all the decorations he could see outside the window. Amy went through her phone. Usually, she looked out the window in silence whenever she was upset. But she didn't want her husband to know that something was bothering her.

They had already had dinner outside that night. So, the only things left to do after returning home were taking the bags to their room, changing the kids and putting them to bed. Amy put Harry and Liz to bed and Jake put Mac to bed. The boy wanted to hear a story. So, Amy went and got ready for bed while Jake read their eldest a story.

As Amy was getting ready, she knew that she had to behave normally when Jake came back. She didn't want any alarms going off in his head which told him that she was troubled and that they had to talk about it. Amy sat on their bed, waiting for Jake.

'Can you believe Mac had three granola bars just an hour after dinner?' asked Jake as he entered their room and got ready for bed.

'Well, if he comes to us at night telling us that his tummy aches, we'll know why,' said Amy as she tried suppressing the frustration in her voice.

'Well, looks like Liz enjoyed the mall today. She was so fascinated by the lights and the decorations,' said Jake as he got in bed beside Amy.

'Yeah, it was so beautiful hearing her laugh,' said Amy as she remembered their daughter pointing and enjoying throughout the mall. But she wanted to go to bed before she remembered that night further. 'Anyway, goodnight,' she said as she gave Jake a peck and laid down.

'Woah, Ames, we're not gonna talk about tonight?'

Amy was caught by surprise. She had no clue how he figured out something was bothering her. 'What?' she asked turning around and looking up at Jake who was still sitting up.

'Come on,' he said, 'you didn't possibly think you had me fooled, did you?'

Amy sighed as she got up. 'How'd you figure it out?' she asked him.

'Let's just say I've known you for more than ten years and I'm a detective too. So, tell me. What's wrong?'

Amy sighed as there was no escaping this. 'Okay,' she said slowly, 'I wasn't particularly happy when we met Sophia.'

'What? Why?' he asked.

'Well, you two dated and it's weird for me to see an ex-girlfriend of yours.'

'Ames, you can't be serious. We're married, we have kids. There's no reason to be threatened by Sofia,' Jake said as he gave her an obvious look.

'Oh, don't give me that look. I know how you react when you hear Teddy's name.'

'Oh, like that's the same,' said Jake as he scoffed, 'The guy proposes to you every time he sees you. He's obsessed with you.'

'Sophia was trying to hit on you tonight, Jake,' Amy half-screamed. They both looked at each other, Jake still processing Amy's words.

'What? She was?' asked Jake.

'Just go back to the night. First, she approached you because she thought you were alone. Second, she was surprised when she saw me. Third, she was shocked when she saw the ring on my finger. Fourth, she felt so uncomfortable when she saw Mac. I mean, it's really plain to see that she still has feelings for you and if you were alone, if I wasn't there, if she didn't see your wedding ring, if none of our kids were there, she was going to hit on you Jake.'

Jake was silent for some time. 'Wow,' he said softly, 'maybe I'm not as good a detective as I thought I was.'

'No,' said Amy as she ran her hand through his hair, 'you're much better than you think you are.'

'I'm sorry I didn't see it. I didn't wanna make you feel uncomfortable.'

'I know you didn't. It's not your fault. Sometimes we don't notice the things we don't like. And I'm sorry I didn't handle meeting Sophia well.'

'It's alright,' said Jake before giving her a soft peck, 'I guess we both don't handle each other's past relationships that well, huh?'

'Yeah,' said Amy, 'but that's the past. What matters is the present and enjoying it with the people you love.' They shared a soft kiss. 'I love you,' she told Jake as she cupped his face.

'I love you, too,' he told her as he turned off the lamp as they slept, with Amy resting her head on his chest.


	17. Your Happiness Is all that Matters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Karen teaches Jake how Mac's happiness is most important than anything else.

'Happy birthday, Mac!' wished Karen as she and Roger walked up to the boy who was in his mother's arms.

'Do you know how old you are?' asked Roger.

'One,' said the boy softly while holding up a finger.

'Oh! You're so smart,' cooed Roger.

'Yeah, he is,' Jake snapped at his father, trying to indicate that it was obvious. He never really had forgiven his dad for leaving his family all those years ago. Even though he was back with Karen, tried so much to be a good dad now, and was also a caring grandfather for Mac, Jake was always watching his every move.

'Okay,' said Karen, trying to cut the tension, 'we'll be around.' Jake and Amy smiled and nodded.

'Oh, I put the drinks in the fridge,' informed Roger.

'Oh, thanks,' said Amy as the grandparents went around the room.

'You asked him to bring the drinks? Why didn't you tell me to bring them?' Jake asked his wife.

'He offered,' replied Amy, 'and you don't need to be so critical of his every move. I don't need you to throw a fit for this little guy's birthday.' She caressed Mac's cheek and kissed the top of his head.

'Fine,' said Jake as he went to talk to some of their friends.

After the party, it was just Mac, his parents and his paternal grandparents in the house. Jake and Amy were putting the decorations away while Roger was playing with Mac. 'Amy,' said Karen, 'let me help, you can sit down.'

'Oh, that's kind of you,' replied Amy, 'but it's not a problem.'

'Oh, honey, I know how tired a mom gets after throwing their child a party,' reasoned Karen.

'I mean, it's my son's birthday too, I helped her…' Jake said.

'Not the same,' said Karen. 'Seriously, it's fine,' she told Amy, 'Go relax.'

'Okay,' said Amy with a smile, 'I'm going to take a shower.'

After Jake and Karen finished taking down the decorations and cleaning the room, Roger and Karen decided it was time for them to leave. As Roger went to get his coat, he felt something heavy in the pocket. When he put his hand in it, he realized what it was.

'Oh, nearly forgot this,' Roger said as he walked to the couch. He gave the box to Mac, who then opened it. The boy had no idea what it was. 'It's a fidget spinner,' informed Roger as he proceeded to spin it and gave it to his grandson. The boy was amazed and laughed at the lights that lit up when the object spun. Just then, Roger got a call and so he left and walked to the car. Karen too put on her coat but turned around right at the door.

'So,' she said as she fixed the collar of her coat, 'you want to talk about it Jake?'

'What?' asked Jake.

'You know what I'm talking about.'

'Mom, I really don't.'

Karen sighed as she started to button her coat. 'How many more times are you gonna be critical of him, question him and snap at him every time you meet him?' she asked him.

'Mom, I'm just being careful,' Jake said.

'How could getting drinks for a party have possibly gone wrong? You know I was with him.'

'Yeah, but he could've ditched you at the store,' he tried to justify.

'Okay, first of all, I'm driving today, I have the keys. Secondly, why can't you accept that he's changed?' she asked him. Jake scoffed, which made Karen give him a questioning look. 'Oh, you think people can't change?' she asked him.

'No, they're the same people.'

'So, you're telling me that you're the same person as you were before you started dating Amy or before you became a dad?' she asked him. Jake went silent and look down to the floor. 'Look, Jake,' she continued, 'your dad and I've gotten back together for just over five years now and we're so happy. Ever since you knew we had gotten back together, you were making sincere attempts to fix your relationship with your dad. You introduced us to the Santiagos, you invited us to brunch, you even invited your dad and granddad to your child's gender reveal party in an attempt to renew their relationship. But since Mac's come into the picture, you've returned to suspecting him. What's the matter, sweetie?'

Jake sighed. 'I'm just afraid he'll leave us again,' he said slowly. 'And, also,' he couldn't believe what he was about to say, 'I'm a bit jealous of Mac.'

Karen didn't understand. 'What do you mean?' she asked.

Jake sighed again before speaking, 'It's just that he's been such a good grandfather to Mac. He's kind, funny, loving, just what you expect your grandfathers to be. But where was that guy when I was growing up?'

Karen hugged her son. 'Well, honey,' she said as they parted, 'Mac's your number one priority, right?'

'Without a doubt,' he answered, making Karen smile at her son.

'Well, then you'll want everything perfect for him. That includes having a loving grandfather. I know what your dad did and there's no way we can ever forgive him Jake. But Mac doesn't need to know that. And it may pain you to see how good your dad is with kids but this is your own kid, your own son. After some time, that pain will go when you see how happy Mac is when he's with his grandpa.' They again shared a hug. 'Trust me, Jake,' she said while rubbing his back, 'Mac's happiness is all that matters now.' They parted and Karen kissed Jake's cheek as she left.

When Jake returned to the living room, he saw Amy and Mac playing together, both of them laughing. 'Yeah,' he said to himself with a smile, 'Mac's happiness is all that matters now.'


	18. Happy Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amy returns home from a three-day conference.

As Amy crossed the sign that said 'Arrivals' she heard a little boy. 'Mommy! Mommy!' the boy called and, as Amy turned, she saw her eight-year old run up to her.

'Mac!' she exclaimed, delighted to see her son. She bent down and hugged him before kissing his forehead. 'I thought only Daddy was gonna pick me up,' she said.

'Surprise!' yelled the boy, making Amy smile even wider. Just then, Jake and her two other children walked up to them. She hugged and kissed them all. Jake took her luggage and bag and held Mac's hand as Amy carried four-year olds Harry and Liz in each arm.

'They can both walk, you know?' Jake said as they walked to their car.

'Oh, it's fine,' Amy said, 'Besides, we only have one week to carry Harry around. You know that once you're five we won't carry you around much, right Harry?'

'Yeah, then I'll be a big boy!' the boy screamed.

'Yes, you will!' confirmed Amy.

After getting everything and everyone in their car, Amy decided to text her lieutenant and sergeant that she had returned to Brooklyn and that she'd start returning to work from tomorrow. Amy had actually been in Manhattan for an annual seminar for all N.Y.P.D. captains. She had been in Manhattan for three days.

As she searched for her phone in her bag, she saw the half-eaten box of Oreos. She gave the box to the kids behind her. While texting, she heard a commotion in the back.

'I want it!' screamed Harry

'But I took it first!' shouted Liz.

Amy turned back to see two of her youngest fight over the last cookie. 'Hey! Hey!' she half-screamed, grabbing their attention, 'What's the matter?'

'I want the cookie!' shouted Liz.

'But I'm hungry!' Harry shouted back.

'But I saw it first!' The two started fighting again.

'Harry and Elizabeth,' Amy said loudly, 'share the last cookie.' The kids knew their parents was serious whenever they used Mac's or Liz's full name. So they didn't dare to protest. Instead, Harry broke the cookie in two more or less equal halves and gave one two his sister. 'Good,' said Amy, 'now apologize to each other.'

'I'm sorry, Harry.'

'Sorry, Liz.'

Amy smiled at her accomplishment. 'So,' she said after everything had settled down, 'what did you guys do when I was away?' Of course Jake had been updating her constantly and she did get a couple of instances to talk to her children but now she wanted to hear it all from them.

'We watched cartoons with Daddy and we made lots of drawings with Auntie Ro-Ro,' said Mac.

'Then Grandpa Holt and Grandpa Kevin took us took to the park and we went Iggy and Auntie G to the playground,' continued Harry.

'And we sang with Niko, Uncle Charlie and Auntie Genie and yesterday we played charades with Cagney, Lacey, Ava, Uncle Terry and Aunt Sharon,' finished Liz.

'Wow,' said Amy, 'so you guys had a lot of fun. Well, it's gonna get better 'cause I did some shopping and I got you all presents.'

'Presents!' exclaimed Harry.

'Yay!' shouted Liz as she clapped her hands.

'What did I get, Mommy?' asked Mac.

'Calm yourself down, guys. You're gonna have to wait till we get home,' said Amy.

Once they got home, they all gathered to receive their presents.

'Mac, this is yours,' Amy said as she handed him a box.

'Is it a puzzle?' he asked.

'Yes, it is. It's just like the cases we have to solve every day but it's built for you.'

'Thank you, Mommy,' said the boy as he looked at the instructions in the back.

'Harry, Liz, I know how much you two wanted a dog but you two know how I can't be near dogs, right?' Amy asked them. The two of them nodded slowly, still sad that they couldn't get a dog. Amy knew this but was amazed at how understanding the two were. 'You've been so good because you understand my problem. So, I got you these.' Amy took out two big plush police dogs.

'Doggies!' the two children exclaimed at once.

'They're just like the dogs we use at work. There're two, one for each of you, alright?'

'They're just like the dogs on T.V.,' said Harry.

'What?'

'Oh, we watched Animal Planet earlier today,' informed Jake.

'Wow,' said Amy, 'you got them to watch something unanimated and informative? I'm impressed.'

'Mommy, where's Daddy's present?' asked Mac.

'Oh, Daddy got his present,' Amy said.

'I did?' asked Jake confused.

'Yeah, I returned after three days. _I'm_ your present.'

After dinner and getting their children in bed, Jake and Amy went to their bedroom. As Jake sat on his bed, Amy exited their joint bathroom. 'You know,' said Amy as she got on her side of the bed, 'I really missed you not being next to me in bed for three days.'

'Yeah, me too,' said Jake.

'I may not have got you a gift but I think I can offer you something else,' she said as she got closer to her husband. Just as they started kissing, a screech travelled through their house.

'Mommy! Daddy!' the voice called as Jake and Amy parted, giving each other a worried look. They rushed to Liz's room.

'Oh, my God!' Amy exclaimed as they saw the three year old sitting on her bed, crying.

'Liz, what's the matter?' asked Jake as he sat down on the bed and sat the girl down on his lap.

'Mommy?' she called out. She loved her dad but she was just more attached to her mom.

'I'm here, baby, I'm here,' Amy said as she bent down and held her daughter's hand.

'Sweetie, did you have a nightmare?' asked Jake. The girl nodded. 'What happened, baby?' he asked.

'The lion from T.V. came,' the girl sobbed.

'Oh, sweetie, it's just a bad dream. Lions can't come here,' comforted Amy.

'No, I sleep with you and Daddy!' the girl said before wailing again. Usually, Amy would instantly agree but Jake had been left alone with three energetic kids for three days. She wanted him to relax. Before she could say anything, Jake spoke up.

'Of course you can,' he said as he hugged their daughter. 'And,' he continued while carrying Liz and standing up, 'we can have Aurora guard the door, okay?'

'Okay,' she said in a half-whisper as Amy grabbed the dog she had got for the girl.

As they lay down, with Liz in between them, Jake turned to his wife while rubbing his daughter's back 'Hey,' he called, grabbing her attention, 'I'm sorry this disrupted whatever you had planned.'

'What?' asked Amy, taken by surprise at what he had said, 'Jake, you don't need to be sorry. I mean, we promised to always be there for each other and the kids.' As she said those words, Jake and Amy heard soft footsteps approaching their room. They knew exactly whose footsteps those were.

'Daddy? Mommy?'

'Yeah, Mac?' answered Jake.

'Harry and I heard Liz screaming and we can't sleep now. Can we sleep with you and Mommy?'

'Of course,' said Jake. He didn't even need to think about it.

'Oh, Mommy can Asher guard with Aurora?' Harry asked his mom.

'Of course he can, baby,' said Amy as Harry went to put the dog he had gotten from his mom at the door.

As the five of them squished together in bed, Amy couldn't help but smile as she replayed the events of the day. She had been so happy to return home. When Jake surprised her by bringing the kids to the airport, she felt so happy. Seeing the smiles on her kids' faces after giving them their presents had made her think she hadn't seen anything more adorable than that. When she and Jake were making up for lost time, she felt like she was the luckiest girl in the world, even though they had to break it much earlier than either of them would have liked. But, having the five of them in bed together definitely was the best moment of the day. She knew that she'd always be happy as long as these four people were with her.


	19. Godparents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rosa and Charles look after Mac for a night.

Rosa was the scariest person her friends knew and she liked that. She like to be tough and scary. But even she had a soft spot for her friends, especially Jake and Amy. Jake and Amy now had a six-month old son, Mac and she cared about him. But right now, at this moment, she was scared of nothing more than the baby sleeping on her couch.

_ Flashback: _

_'We really appreciate you looking after Mac, Rosa,' Jake said._

_'Uh…no problem?' was all Rosa could say._

_'Look, there is a binder in this bag but if you have your own ways of taking care of babies, we have no problem. We want Mac to know all the different ways his aunts and uncles look after him,' said Amy._

_Rosa had never taken care of a baby before. She wanted to help her friends but she knew she was going to be uncomfortable with a baby around. She knew she had to say something. 'Amy, I don't know,' she blurted out._

__

__

_'Oh, that's okay,' Amy reassured her friend, 'You can just follow the binder.'_

_'No,' said Rosa as she sighed, 'I mean I don't know if I can do this – take care of the baby.'_

_'Oh,' said Amy, disappointment in her eyes, 'You know what? Not a problem. We can plan this for another day. Right, Jake?_ '

_'Yeah, sure,' reaffirmed Jake. 'Sorry to bother you. We'll see you at work tomorrow. Bye,' he told Rosa as the family of three started leaving Rosa's apartment._

_Rosa knew she had disrupted their plans and she felt guilty about that. She wanted to make it right. 'Wait!' she called out, 'I'll look after Mac.' But she knew she couldn't handle this baby by herself, she needed help._

Present Time:

Charles was driving back home, listening to ABBA's greatest hits and singing along. He got a call, which he saw was Rosa.

'Hey, Rosa! What's up?' answered Charles in his usually cheery mood.

'Charles, I need your help,' mumbled Rosa.

'What's the matter? Are you in danger?' asked Charles, his voice indicating his concern.

'What? No, man. Look, Jake and Amy are out and I need to - '

Rosa paused abruptly. She just realized that Charles also had a family and she couldn't just ask him to come over and help her. 'You know what? Never mind,' she said.

'Rosa, whatever it is, I'm coming over.'

'What? No, dude, I –'

But it was too late. Charles had already hung up. The next thing Rosa knew was Charles being in her apartment, fawning over the sleeping baby.

'Oh, my God, Rosa! He's so cute when sleeping!' he whispered excitedly.

'Hey! Stop that!' she demanded of him. 'I just need your help until Jake and Amy come back. You think you can handle not being a fan girl of Mac till then?'

'Umm… I'll try. Just one question though.'

'Shoot.'

'Why'd you offer to look after Mac if you're so nervous?'

'Because,' she said slowly, 'they're my friends and I need to help them.'

After about ten minutes, Mac woke up and, just like most babies, started crying.

'Oh, my God! Charles, what do we do?' Rosa panicked and asked her friend.

'Hey, don't worry,' he told her. 'I'll bounce him around and calm him down, you open the applesauce,' Charles said as he picked up Mac and took him to the other room.

Rosa composed herself as she took out the applesauce from the bag Jake and Amy had handed to her. She tried opening it but, for some reason, she was having trouble with the tab. Ultimately, she applied too much force and the applesauce splattered all over her couch. She groaned to herself.

Charles brought Mac back and sat him on his lap as Rosa fed the boy froma new bowl of applesauce. Rosa kept on trying to understand why Charles was there and not with his family. She knew how much he loved Jake and Amy's relationship but surely he couldn't abandon his family. 'Hey, Boyle?' asked Rosa.

'Yeah?' he said looking up at her.

'Why are you here?'

'You asked me to come.'

'No, I mean, you've got Nikolaj and Genevieve at home. Shouldn't you be with them?'

'Normally, yeah. But Niko and Genevieve are out of town,' he answered. Rosa thought he would've talked about him third-wheeling with Jake and Amy or something like that. 'Also, I want to be this guy's godfather so bad,' he said after sometime and Rosa couldn't help but think how predictable he was.

After feeding Mac, the three of them played together. Rosa looked at how much the baby looked like both her parents. She kept thinking how Jake and Amy also had a child now. She realized that everyone at the Nine-Nine had a child. Holt had Cheddar, Terry had Cagney, Lacey and Ava, Charles had Nikolaj, and Jake and Amy now had Mac. She was the only one yet to have a child. Heck, she didn't even have a partner. Screw that, even her relationship with her parents hadn't been the same ever since she came out. Every time the baby in the room laughed, she couldn't help but think how wonderful babies were and how she (maybe) wanted one. Just then, Jake and Amy entered the apartment.

'Hey, we're back,' Jake said.

'Oh, hey, guys,' Rosa said as she and Charles got up while carrying Mac.

'How was your night?' Charles asked.

'Oh, it was wonderful,' replied Amy. 'But I did miss this guy. Hi, baby!' she said as she took Mac from Rosa.

'Geez! How was your night?' asked Jake after seeing the applesauce all over her couch.

'Oh, it was fine,' replied Rosa.

'Are you sure? How much applesauce did you get on your couch?' he asked as he lifted the cushions to see even more applesauce.

'That was the only difficult part, really,' she answered. 'Besides,' she said as she turned to Charles, 'Charles was there to guide me.' Charles smiled at her.

After Jake, Amy and Mac left, it was just Rosa and Charles. 'Hey, look,' Rosa said, 'I know you're tired and all but do you think you can help me clean up?'

'Oh, sure,' he replied. 'You do the dishes and I'll clean your couch,' he suggested.

'Deal,' said Rosa.

As Rosa was just finishing up doing the dishes, Charles entered the kitchen. 'Hey, Rosa?' he called her.

'Hey, man, if you've done with the couch, thanks, you can go home,' she said without turning back.

'Yeah, I've pretty much cleaned it but why was there an envelope under the cushions?'

'What?' she asked as she turned around, 'I don't get any letters or mail.'

'I don't know, I found this when cleaning the couch,' Charles said as he waved a white envelope in front of her.

Rosa snatched the envelope. It was blank. She opened it to see a folded sheet of paper. She took the letter out and read what was written outside. 'From Jake and Amy,' she read out aloud. The two detectives shared a look. Rosa tried to think how the envelope ended up in her couch as she unfolded the letter and gave the envelope back to Charles. She recalled Jake lifting up the cushions off the couch. Surely he must have put the letter there at the time.

'Dear Rosa,' she read out, 'we hope you enjoyed having Mac over today. We know that you've not really had experience with handling children but we appreciate you looking after Mac to give us some time to ourselves. You're such an important person in our lives. You're definitely one of our favorite people because you look after us, help us, and care about us. You're one of our best friends and we know that you'll definitely be Mac's favorite aunt when he grows up. However, we want you to be more than just his favorite aunt – we want you to be godmother as well and not just to Mac but also to any possible future children we have. If you look inside the envelope there is a document. If you choose to sign it, you will officially be our child(ren)'s godmother. We would be so happy to know that you'd be our child(ren)'s godmother but it is really your decision.'

'Rosa,' Charles said as he looked inside the envelope, 'there are two sheets of documents.'

'P.S.,' Rosa continued to read, 'We knew you'd call Charles to help you out with Mac. The other sheet is for him.'

No sooner had she finished reading the sentence, Charles hugged her tightly. This was typical of him. 'Oh, my God, Rosa!' he exclaimed, 'We're gonna be godparents to Mac and his possible siblings!'

Rosa couldn't help but smile. She didn't have kids of her own, or a partner, or even a smooth relationship with her family. She didn't even know if she'd have all that one day. But at that moment, she realized that the squad was her true family. She was going to be the godmother of the child (and possibly children) of two her favorite people in the world, two of her best friends, and it couldn't be any sweeter.


	20. Adoption

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amy is worried that their daughter-to-be will not accept them as family.

Amy held the wailing infant in her lap. She was crying her head off and Amy had no idea what to do or say.

'Baby, please don't cry. Here, you want applesauce?' she asked. The baby just cried further. 'Do you wanna play with your toys? Do you wanna go outside?' Amy asked as she carried the girl and stood up.

'Mommy!' the girl cried.

'Oh, sweetie, I'm right here, Mommy's here,' Amy said.

The baby stopped crying all of a sudden. Amy heaved a sigh of relief. But then the girl turned to look at her mother. 'You're not my mommy,' she said slowly.

Amy was taken aback. She didn't expect to hear those words from the mouth of a one-year old. 'Wh-what? Baby, I'm here,' Amy said.

'No,' the baby said, 'you're just my adopted mother.'

The words echoed over and over in Amy's head and the next thing she knew was Jake holding her while she was crying. She'd had a nightmare.

'Ames, babe, it was a nightmare,' Jake said while stroking her hair. Amy held on to Jake tighter as she cried into his shirt. 'It's okay, it's okay,' he comforted. They stayed like that for some time until Jake spoke again, 'You want to talk about it?'

Amy slowly nodded as she composed herself. 'Okay,' she said while drying her eyes for the final time, 'tomorrow's the day we can bring Liz home. I mean, she officially becomes our daughter from tomorrow.'

'Yeah,' Jake said with a smile.

'I know we've wanted this for so long but – '

'You don't wanna go through with it?' Jake asked worried.

'No, I do, I do,' Amy reassured him. 'I just,' she sighed, 'I mean we're not really her parents. What if she doesn't accept us to be her parents? What is she doesn't accept the four of us as her family?'

Jake pulled her closer to him. 'Oh, Amy,' he said, 'Look, she's just a year old. She's not gonna question her identity.'

Amy pulled away. 'Of course I know that,' she half-screamed. 'But as she grows up, I'll have to tell her eventually. I mean, how do I do that?' she asked him while resting her head on her shoulder.

The room was silent as Amy waited for Jake to say something and Jake thought about what Amy had asked. 'Ames,' Jake started, 'you remember how I was scared I wouldn't know how to teach our sons how to tie their shoes? Or how I'd teach them to read clocks? Or how I'd break them the news that Santa Claus isn't real?'

'Yeah…' said Amy, unsure of where this was getting to.

'Do you remember what you told me?'

'I told you that you'd figure it all out as time goes on.'

'That's right, and you'll figure this out too. Plus – '

'Jake, this is way more serious and sensitive than any of those,' she interjected him.

'Ames, let me finish,' he said. 'You said something else as well. Do you remember that?' he asked her.

Amy thought for some time and it finally hit her. 'That we're in this together and that I had your back every step of the way,' she said softly.

'That's right. You told me how _I_ would not be the one to teach our kids how to tie their shoes or teach them how to read clocks or break the news about Santa – you told me that _we_ would teach them all of that together. And later, _you're_ not gonna be telling Liz that she was adopted, _we_ are.'

Amy smiled. She loved Jake so much for so many reasons and he further proved her point at this moment. The two kissed each other softly. But Amy still had one question. 'Hey, I have one more question,' she told him.

'What is it?' he asked.

'Well, you know how, on Friends, Chandler accidentally told that kid he was adopted?'

'Yeah?'

'Well, what if one our friends makes the same mistake with Liz?'

'Amy, we're cops. If anyone makes that mistake, we can shoot them,' he joked.

Amy laughed softly. Another she loved about him was that he always made her laugh, even in the worst situations. They shared another kissed. 'I love you,' she told him.

'I love you too,' he replied back.

The next day, Jake and Amy brought Liz home. Mac and Harry were excited at the fact that they had a baby sister now. They even helped Amy in whatever way they could even though one was five and the other was two. As the two boys fawned over the newest addition to the family, Amy remembered the conversation she had with her husband last night. But she realized something now which neither of them had said or even thought about yesterday. Jake and Amy weren't the only two who were in this together, even their children were. After all, they were a family.


	21. Some Assembly Required

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jake and Amy enlist Holt and Terry to set up their baby's crib.

'Well, that's the last of the boxes,' said Amy as she put down the box in their new living room. This was Jake and Amy's moving day. With a new baby due in nearly three months, they knew their apartment would just be a bit too congested. So, they had bought this house.

'Yeah, that's one job done,' said Charles as he too put a box on the floor. Holt, Terry, Rosa and Charles had made up the time to help out Jake and Amy.

'So, we opening and assembling now?' asked Rosa, tired of carrying the boxes.

'No, not yet,' replied Amy, 'Karen has some of the blankets and toys Jake had as a kid and she wants to hand them over to us. We're gonna need some extra hands to help us.'

'Ugh, more boxes?' Rosa groaned.

'Shut up, Rosa!' Charles shouted. 'This is for baby Peraltiago so you better be dedicated to all of this,' he said as Rosa groaned and rolled her eyes.

'Captain, Lieutenant,' Amy said as she turned to Holt and Terry, 'could you please stay back and assemble the crib?'

'Oh, I see,' said Terry.

'See what?'

'You think Jeffords and I are too old and cannot carry boxes. I would expect this judgment to come from Peralta but you, Santiago? I pray for this baby,' Holt said as he turned away.

'Oh, my God! You sons of bitches!' Amy screamed, making the entire room stare at her. She just realized what she said. She laughed awkwardly. 'Sorry, hormones,' she explained. 'Just to stay clear of Jake and Charles injuring themselves, Rosa killing the person working with her, and me breaking the crib even before it's assembled, we think it would be best for you two to work on the crib,' she elaborated.

'Oh, that's not a problem,' said Terry, 'I just hope you've got the tools.'

'Yes, they're in the car,' said Amy. After giving the two seniors the toolbox, Jake, Amy, Charles, and Rosa drove to Karen and Roger.

'Sir,' said Terry as he opened took out the components of the crib, 'I know you've probably not assembled a crib before but don't worry because I've assembled a 100X90 crib before.'

'Wow,' said Holt as he examined the parts, 'that is a big crib, Jeffords.'

'Yeah, Terry makes big babies,' he reminded, 'This should be child's play.'

'I agree.'

'What? I appreciate your optimism, sir, but I don't see how you can say this is easy.'

'Well, I took a year on carpentry. So, I know my way around some woodwork. Even though, the woodwork on this is so-so.'

'Alright, sir. Let's begin.'

**Five Minutes Later:**

Holt and Terry were on the floor, the tools sprawled across the floor and the different parts scattered around. Holt and Terry looked frustrated.

'How is this so difficult?' asked Terry.

'Relax, Jeffords,' Holt said, 'Rome was not built in a day. We just need to buckle down and find inspiration.'

'Or we could just follow the guide?' Terry said as he picked up the small guide.

'Oh, thank God!' Holt said as he snatched it and went through it rapidly.

**Twenty Minutes Later:**

'We did it!' Jeffords exclaimed.

'Yes, that was quite enthralling,' Holt agreed.

'Now we just need to get it in the nursery,' Terry said as we went to lift it. But as soon as he touched it, the crib crumbled. 'What the hell? We followed the instructions,' Terry said as he looked towards his captain.

Holt was dumbfounded too. He looked around and saw a screw by his foot. 'We may have missed this,' Holt said as he showed Terry the screw.

**Thirty Minutes Later:**

'Hand me the pin, you pinhead!' Holt screamed.

'It's a screw, not a pin. I keep telling you that!' Terry shouted back.

'Oh, screw you! Just hand it over!' Holt demanded. Once he got the screw, he started hammering it in.

'What are you doing? It's a screw! You SCREW it in!' Terry shouted again.

'Just let me work on it, you good for nothing lieutenant!' As Holt hammered it further in, as it was bound to happen, the crib definitely broke. The two men shared a look of worry.

**One Hour Later:**

'Hey! We're back!' Jake shouted as the four people entered. Holt and Terry rushed to the door.

'Hey, Jake!' Terry greeted him a bit too loudly, 'How was the trip to your parents'?'

'Uh… It was alright,' he answered, 'We got some stuff for the baby.'

'Yeah, these boxes are heavy,' mumbled Rosa, 'but we did get some pictures of Jake in his teenage years.'

'So, you guys done with the crib?' Jake asked.

'Teenage years!' shouted Holt, 'What a fascinating transition from child to adult. Let us discuss about that, shall we?'

'What? Just show us how far along you two got with the crib.'

'"Far along"?' asked Terry as though he were insulted, 'You thought that we wouldn't get the crib ready by the time you came just cause we're the oldest ones here? For shame, Jake. For shame!'

Amy sighed. 'Look,' she said, 'Jake didn't mean that.'

'Oh, it's cool.'

'Then just show us the damn crib before I throw these boxes at you two!' Holt and Terry reconsidered their plans. When Amy was riled up, she scared everyone.

As the six of them walked to the nursery, Holt and Terry turned around right at the door. 'Why don't you just leave your boxes here?' Terry suggested.

'Why?' asked Charles.

'Because the room is full of tools and is messy. You might trip,' explained Holt.

'Ugh! Can we just go in or not?' Amy complained. Holt and Terry knew that if they extended this conversation further, she would probably break their fingers. As Terry reached for the knob, he look to Holt, who nodded at him for encouragement. The six of them entered the nursery.

'Wow,' said Jake, 'You guys did it.' Right in the middle of the nursery was a fully assembled crib, with all its parts attached and strong. Jake was smiling but Amy was maintaining a stoic expression. 'Ames,' Jake said looking at his emotionless wife, 'aren't you happy that they made the crib?'

'No, Jake,' Amy said, 'they didn't make _the crib_ , they made _a crib_.'

'What?' said Jake but as he looked at the crib, he finally realized that it wasn't the one he and Amy had bought a week ago. 'You guys, what happened to the crib we bought?' he asked his captain and his lieutenant.

Holt and Terry looked at each other before the latter spoke, 'Look, we tried our best, we really did. But it was too damn difficult. We're sorry, man!'

'What? So, you exchanged it and bought a new one?'

'No,' said Holt, 'that was our plan but I had pretty much demolished it. The store would not take it back.'

'What?' Jake and Amy asked together.

'Look, we're sorry,' Terry continued, 'You gave us one task and we couldn't do it. So, we bought you this crib, mainly to say we're sorry but also to complete our task.'

As soon as Terry was done speaking, Amy hugged the two men. They were both surprised – Terry because he was preparing for Amy to scathe them both and Holt because, well, he never did care for hugs. As Amy let go, Holt asked her, 'Santiago, are you not mad at us?'

'No,' replied Amy, 'Captain, one of the first things you taught me when you first got transferred to the Nine-Nine was that when one of your fellow officers needs help, you help them, no matter what the cost. Today, the lieutenant and you have done exactly that.' Amy hugged them again. 'Although there is one thing left to do,' she said as they parted.

'What's that?' asked Terry.

Amy went to Rosa. 'Rosa,' she asked, 'may I have your knife for a moment?' Rosa didn't say a word as she drew a knife from inside her jacket. 'Thanks,' said Amy as she walked to the crib. She bent knelled down on one side of the crib and began to carve into the wood. 'There,' she said after she was done, 'that's for the baby.'

As she stood up, the other five went to look at what she had carved. 'To Baby Peralta-Santiago,' they read, 'From Grandpa Raymond Holt and Uncle Terry Jeffords.'


	22. Just Promise Me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Jake breaks a promise he made to Amy, she is not happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Amy and Camila's conversation in this chapter is related to Chapter 13 (I'll Always Support You). This chapter itself is not wholly based on it but, in case you do not understand the conversation between them, you can have a look at the aforementioned chapter.

'Wow, I had no idea your house was so big,' Jake said as he carried their bags and held the hands of their eight-year old son Mac and five-year old son Harry.

'Well, not at first. I mean, it was about the size of our house at first but dad kept on renovating it,' informed Amy as she carried a bag and held her daughter Liz's hand.

'Wow, eight kids under our roof back in Brooklyn sounds terrifying. But this place is huge!' Jake said as they entered the house.

'Grandma!' the kids exclaimed as they ran up to hug her.

'Oh, sweeties! How are you all?' Camila asked while hugging them. She then got up to welcome the parents. 'Amy! Jake! How was your flight?' she asked them.

'Oh, it was fine. The kids were a handful though,' replied Amy.

'Oh, I bet. But I hope you two are not too tired for tonight.'

'Oh, that's right!' exclaimed Jake as he remembered something, 'Happy fiftieth anniversary!' he wished her.

'Oh, thank you, Jake. Don't forget to wish Victor though!'

'I know you're joking but I do forget things easily. Could you please tell me where he is?'

'Oh, he's upstairs, first door to your left. That's where all the grandkids are. You could take Mac, Harry and Liz along with you.'

As Jake and the kids left, Camila turned to her daughter. 'It's so good to see you, dear. What's it been? One, one and a half?'

'Two years, mom,' Amy answered, 'Liz was a year old then and now she's three so…'

'I know. And I'm very sorry for my mistakes as is your dad for his. And I'm not just talking about my behavior that day but I had no idea you strained yourself when you were growing up. I'm so sorry. The last thing I want is for you to be mad at me.'

'Mom, it's okay,' Amy said as she hugged her mom, 'All is forgiven.' She should feel her mom smile.

'Just so you know, all the kids will be sleeping in one room and I've made your old room ready.'

'Thanks, mom.'

Just then, Jake came back down. 'Amy, why don't you give Jake a tour of the house? It's his first time here.'

As Amy was about to give Jake the tour, he saw the one thing Amy always talked about, albeit in a disappointed way. 'Ames?' he called. She turned her head around. 'Is that the piano you're always talking about?' he asked as he pointed at it.

'Oh, God,' Amy groaned. 'You know what? We might as well start from here,' she said as they walked over to the piano to look at her picture.

Amy gave Jake the full tour. The tour ended with Amy's room. 'And this,' said Amy as she opened the door, 'is my room, A.K.A. where we will be sleeping for the next one week.'

'Wow,' as he put their bags down, 'you got so many more awards than I imagined.'

'I know,' replied Amy, extremely proud of herself. 'Can you believe you're the first guy, who's not my dad or my brother, to be in this room?'

'Yes,' said Jake, holding a frame that showed Amy wearing big round glasses and carrying five books, 'Yes, I can.'

'Just put that back on the shelf,' Amy mumbled as she sat on the bed.

Jake laughed softly as he did what he was told. He always found it cute when Amy would pout and be upset. He sat on the bed, wrapping an arm around her. 'It's still awesome to be the first guy in Amy Santiago's room,' he said as he kissed the top of her head. That made her smile.

The couple decided that they'd take a nap to recharge. The 'nap' lasted for two hours. After getting up, they started getting ready for the dinner. This was no ordinary dinner. It was a celebration of Victor and Camila being together for fifty years. So, there would be at least a hundred guests, including the cousins and the friends.

'You know what? I've never really gotten to know your brothers even though we've been married for ten years,' Jake said.

'Well, you know they all live at least an hour away from where we do,' Amy said.

'Yeah, but tonight can be fun. I mean I could totally talk with them, have a few drinks.'

'Yeah, that sounds good. Just one thing though.'

'What?'

'Just don't talk about my work, okay? Like, don't even mention it.'

Jake was confused. 'What?' he asked, 'They don't like cops or something?'

'No, it's not that. I mean you can talk about your work, just don't even mention mine,' Amy answered.

'Okay, Ames, I'm so confused here right now.'

Ames got up and walked over to him. 'Look,' she said as she started making his tie, 'they're my brothers and I'm their only sister. Plus, I'm the youngest sibling. No matter what I do, they find a way to ridicule it, even if it is something cool.' She saw her husband got none of it. 'I know you don't really get what I said,' she continued, 'but a few years from now, you'll see what I mean when Mac and Harry take on Liz.'

'Wait, they bullied you?'

'No, not bully. It's just,' Amy didn't know how to describe it and sighed. 'Look,' she said as she proceeded to fix his collar, 'just promise me you won't mention anything about my work. If not for your sake, then for mine.'

'Okay,' he said.

'Thanks,' Amy said as she smiled a bit and kissed him on the cheek. 'I'm gonna go check on the kids. If I'm not back in ten, you can go down yourself,' she said. Jake nodded slowly but he was still trying to understand what Amy had told him.

A few hours into the party, the Santiago children and Jake found themselves all gathered in one place.

'I'm telling you, at the current rate, we're America's gonna be in debt in the next four years,' Andres said.

'Hey, speaking of debts, I caught a 16-year debtor, who kept killed his lender,' said David.

'Oh, shut up, David,' Raul said, 'Why do you always need to talk about who you sent to jail. You don't see Amy brag about being lieutenant.' All of them, including Amy, laughed. All but Jake.

Jake was confused. Yes, she told him not to talk about her work but surely they had to know how far Amy had come along in her career. She was the youngest captain in N.Y.P.D. history for crying out loud. He just had to say something.

'Oh, you guys should know, Amy's a captain now. Yeah, at the Seven-Eight. She's the youngest captain in the history of the N.Y.P.D.,' Jake said. All the brothers laughed as Amy gave Jake a look that could kill. Jake was even more confused now.

'Hey, how many officers transferred out the day you got in?' Juan asked.

'Do you make them do the paperwork again and again until it's up to your standard?' David asked.

Amy abruptly left, leaving their brothers in fits of laughter. Jake wanted to follow her but he knew when he was to leave Amy alone. Suffice to say the rest of the night was awkward for both of them.

After the party, Jake and Amy entered their room. Jake was waiting for the outburst.

'What the hell was that, Jake?' she asked.

Jake sighed. 'I don't know, I'm sorry,' he said.

'I specifically asked you not to talk about my job in front of them and that's the first thing you do.'

'I know that but come on, Ames. They at least needed to know you'd made captain.'

'They knew that!'

'They did?' Jake was so confused at this point in time.

'They just wanted me to say it, so that they could make fun of me,' Amy answered.

'Okay, Ames, I am so, so confused right now.'

Amy sighed as she took his hand as they sat down on the bed. 'Jake,' she said, 'what you did was very sweet. Anywhere else, I'd be proud of you for standing up for me. But these were my brothers. Everything is the exact opposite with them.'

'Ames, can you please just tell me why you don't want to talk about yourself in front of your brothers?' Jake asked.

'Jake, the reason's so stupid…'

'Babe, you married a stupid guy. I'm sure it's not worse than that.' That made Amy smile a bit.

'Okay, you know how I told you you're the first guy to come in my room? Well, the reason behind that is because of my brothers. We went to the same school and if they heard of me being asked out by some guy or even just me having a crush on a guy, they'd just walk up to him and say lame things about me. I know we're married and we have kids and we're so, so happy. But I don't want you or the kids to ever think I'm lame because your opinions matter to me.'

'Ames, trust me, you're not lame. You once chased and took down a perp in a wedding dress, you managed a citywide crisis while in labor, you're the youngest captain in the history of the N.Y.P.D., and, ever since you killed that roach last week, the kids think you're a superhero. Believe me, you are the ultimate wife/mother there has ever been.'

'Thanks, babe,' Amy said as the two of them kissed.

'You know, I broke a promise and I feel so bad. If only I could make up for it,' Jake said suggestively.

'Jake, as much as I want to, my entire family is here.'

'Oh, look who's lame now?'

'Oh, shut up!' exclaimed Amy as she pushed Jake down on the bed and started kissing him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter!  
> If you have any ideas or suggestions please do suggest.


	23. Your Fault!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mac gets in a dispute with an unlikely person at the playground.

Jake and Amy sat on the bench at the playground with their one-year old Harry, while Mac played on the slides. They hadn't really had a lot of time to themselves as a family but they had made the time for this Saturday.

'This is relaxing,' said Jake as he fed their son some berries.

'It is,' reaffirmed Amy with a smile. Just then, Mac walked up to them with tears in his eyes. 'Oh, my God! Baby, what's the matter?' Amy asked as she carried the four-year old and sat him down on his lap.

'I got hurt,' sobbed the boy.

'How'd it happen?'

'On the slide. The man pushed me.'

'What?' Jake asked, looking up from their one-year old. 'Man? A MAN?' he asked and the boy nodded. 'Alright,' he said as he got up, gave Amy the Tupperware of berries, and carried his four-year old.

'Where are you going?' asked Amy.

'To teach this MAN a lesson!'

Mac pointed at a guy. He was at the hot dog stand. As Jake walked up to the man, he could hear him place his order, 'Look, all I want is a churro in a hot dog bun, with ketchup, mustard and chocolate sauce. What is there not to understand?' Jake recognized that voice.

'Okay, Mac, I'm gonna go talk to that man, you can go play or you can go to Mommy, okay?' Jake asked. Mac nodded and put Mac down. 'Pimento?' Jake asked as he walked up to man. As soon as he touched him, Pimento grabbed a fork and turned around.

'Hey! Get back in line or I will stab you with this fork!'

'Hey, sorry! It's me, Jake!'

'Oh,' said Pimento as he finally saw who he was threatening. 'Jakey! How've you been man?' he asked as he hugged Jake.

'Umm… fine,' replied Jake.

'Hey, just let me talk to this idiot before he completely botches my order and then we can catch up,' Pimento said as he turned to the stand

'Actually, no, I need to talk to you right now.'

Pimento turned around slowly. He was creeping Jake out but he always did so this wasn't new. 'Well, well, well,' he said, 'what do we have here? I'm the one who comes up to you for help. But now you need my help. Something's messed up.' The two stood in silence for some time. 'Well,' said Pimento, 'spill the beans, man! Come on, tell me what's messed up with you!' Pimento was finding this situation interesting.

'Look, there's nothing wrong with me,' Jake said as he sighed. 'Look, my kid says you pushed him on the slide and you hurt him. I want you to apologize to him,' Jake demanded.

'What? That doesn't make sense! First of all, you have a CHILD? Since when? Secondly, why did you not tell me? Thirdly, I didn't push any kid on the slide. Fourthly, you better answer all these question in order.'

Jake sighed before speaking, 'Okay, Mac's four and Harry's one, I haven't really been exactly free to track you down and call you, and Mac says it was you so one of you is lying.' Pimento sighed. 'Look,' continued Jake, 'can you just come with me? We'll ask him one more time if you were the man that pushed him or not.'

As they walked to the bench, the saw Amy, Mac, and Harry playing. 'Oh, that's cute,' commented Pimento.

'Adrian? Wow, I haven't seen you in so long,' Amy commented.

'Hey, Amy,' replied Pimento.

'Okay,' Jake interjected, 'we can catch up later. Mac, is this the man who pushed you?'

The boy looked up and nodded. 'Yes! He pushed me on the slide!'

'What? No, I didn't!' Pimento defended himself.

'No, you did!' accused Mac.

'Hey, man, I didn't push you,' Pimento said again. 'I taught you a lesson!' he exclaimed.

'Wait, what do you mean "taught you a lesson"?' asked Jake.

'Look, after his turn he stayed down there for nearly two minutes. So, I went ahead and collided with him, teaching him a lesson. Seriously, if there's one person to blame, it's you for not telling him to get out of the way once his turn is done!'

'No, you pushed me!' Mac shouted again.

'Hey! I taught you a lesson' Pimento said back.

'Your fault!'

'No, it's your fault!'

'Okay, both of you stop it, right now!' Amy demanded. She turned to Mac before speaking, 'Mac, you know you have to get out of the way once your turn is done! We've told you that so many times!' She then turned to address Pimento, 'And Adrian, hurting a four year old to prove a point? That's so messed up even for you!' The two people looked down, embarrassed. 'Mac, apologize to Mr. Pimento,' she demanded.

'Sorry, Mr. Pimento,' Mac mumbled.

'Now, Adrian, apologize to Mac.'

'Sorry, Mac,' Pimento mumbled as well.

'Good,' said Amy with a smile. 'Why don't you two go play together? Maybe you'll become good friends,' she suggested.

'Okay!' the both exclaimed at the same time. Pimento took Mac by the hand as they walked to the swings.

'Wow,' said Jake as he sat down, 'that was brilliant, Ames.'

'Yeah, well, I'm a lieutenant, have a goofy husband, and two stubborn children. I have to be strict at times.'

And Jake wouldn't have it any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed this chapter!  
> Thank you all so much for your reviews and suggestions! I had been working on this chapter and that's why I've posted it. The next chapters will be based on your suggestions, which were all really great! If you have more suggestions, please, please, please share!!!


	24. Dreams

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jake and Amy talk about careers and dreams.

Amy couldn't help but smile as she sat on the bed and read the letter. It was the letter that informed her that she had made sergeant. She had read the letter maybe fifteen times so far and keep in mind that she received the letter earlier today. This was step two in becoming the youngest captain of the N.Y.P.D., the first step being detective of course. Now, she had to make lieutenant and then captain. But she was still going to take her work seriously and not get too ahead of herself, she always did.

She remembered the past two years. Preparing for the test and working at the same time was extremely stressful. Perhaps waiting for the results was even more so. But she had so many people supporting her and making her life easier every step of the way. She remembered how Holt and Terry were kind enough to let her borrow all of their study materials when they gave the test, how Rosa offered to do her paperwork once every week, how Charles made her cherry pie once every month, and how Hitchcock and Scully let her relax in their 'secret nap room'. Even Gina dialed down her rudeness every now and then. She was so grateful to all of them. But her biggest supporter was the one who shared the bed with her – Jake Peralta.

When she first met Jake, he was the worst person she had met. But after they started dating, she found no one else sweeter than him. He had been the perfect boyfriend and, for the past six months, the perfect fiancé. When she first started to prepare for the exam, their relationship was fairly new. She had to study almost every day. Most partners would say that she had no time for them but not Jake. There were times she thought she should break the schedule, just to give Jake and her some more time to themselves. Instead, she found him forcing her to stick to the schedule. The day of the test, when she went missing, Jake was the only one who truly convinced her to take the test. She had been worried about how their relationship would be affected. But, as long as Jake was with her, she knew their relationship could overcome anything.

Apart from the one time they had let a personal matter ruin one of their cases, they had been very professional when it came to work. They both were excellent detectives and prioritized their work equally. That's when it hit her. They both were equally good detectives, they both equally prioritized and loved their work, and, probably, they were both equally qualified to be sergeants. No, scratch the 'probably', Amy knew they were DEFINITELY equally qualified to be sergeants. So why was he not wanting to move forward in his career?

'Hey, Jake?' Amy called out.

'Yeah?' said Jake, looking up from his phone.

'You know you're a great detective, right?' she asked him.

'Great detective? I'm the best detective there ever is or was at the Nine-Nine,' Jake answered. Amy knew he was half-joking but she wouldn't mind conceding to that statement, just not in front of their friends.

'You love being a cop, don't you?'

'Yeah, I do,' he answered. 'Ames, what's going on? Why're you asking me all of these questions to which the answers are obvious?' he asked.

'Don't you ever wanna be a sergeant?' Amy asked instead.

'Oh,' said Jake as he pretended to think. 'No,' he replied simply and went back to using his phone.

Amy laughed slightly. 'I just don't get it,' she said. 'You're a great detective, you love and prioritize your work. I mean, other people strive for promotions. How can you not want to become a sergeant?'

'I just don't.'

'Why?' Amy asked again.

'What can I say? I'm happy with being a detective,' Jake said as if it couldn't have been more obvious.

Amy sighed. She didn't know if this was Jake being too honest or Jake not wanting to open up. Either way, she was not going to get an answer. She sighed. 'Okay, never mind,' she said as she read the letter again.

Jake knew she was disappointed and frustrated. But he didn't really have the answer. He had _an answer_ , he wasn't sure it was _the answer_. He decided to say it anyway. He put his phone down as he took Amy's hands in his. 'Look,' he began, 'I know how people want to get promotions and try so hard for it, especially when they love their job. But that's never been the case for me. I know how I tell people that Die Hard was the only reason I became a cop. But that's not true. I also became a cop to protect my mom and my nana. That was my dream and I've accomplished it.'

'Jake, that's sweet,' Amy said as she rubbed his hand. 'But did you ever dream of settling down and being engaged to someone?' she asked.

'No,' he said without giving it an ounce of thought. He really didn't need to, he never did think about such things before.

'But you're with me, right? And we're engaged and you you're happy, right?'

'Yeah…' Jake said, not seeing Amy's point.

'My point is, you never dreamed of getting married to someone but you're so happy now when you're engaged. I mean, you just might be happy if you try for sergeant even though you didn't dream of it. Even the things we don't dream of can make us happy if they come true.'

'Ames, that's nice but I'm happy just being a detective.'

'Jake, I get that but just give it some thought and – '

'Ames, I don't need to,' he interjected, 'Look, I'm just happy the way things are – both at work and with you.'

'Okay,' said Amy as she gave him a peck on the lips. She didn't want to pressurize him into doing something he didn't want

'Besides,' Jake said, 'to get a promotion, you need to take a test, be more responsible, I just think that's not my cup of tea.' Once again, he was half-joking but Amy was already believing him.

Jake did say that he was happy with the way things are. But little did he know that seven years down the line, he could not be happier playing with three adorable young kids who called him 'Daddy'. He would remember what Amy told him all those years ago: 'Even the things we don't dream of can make us happy if they come true.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so this was the first story that I've done on the basis of a recommendation and there are a couple more recommendations that I'm to work on! I hope you all liked it, especially the one who wished for it!  
> Please recommend me any suggestions if you have them.   
> Thank you!


	25. The Bad Parent

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amy is afraid that she's losing the bond she once used to have with her kids.

'Everyone ready?' Amy asked from the driver's seat.

'Yeah,' the three kids replied from the back.

'So, how was school?' Amy asked.

'Fine,' mumbled Mac. He was eleven and he was reluctant to give long answers to his parents.

'It was fun!' exclaimed Harry. 'We learned about invertebrates!'

'Yeah!' chimed in Liz, 'We did arts and crafts!'

'Wow! That sounds fun!' agreed Amy. Harry and Liz were eight and seven respectively. Their part of school was obviously much easier that Mac's but Amy was always glad to know that her kids were enjoying school.

'Where's Dad?' asked Mac, unimpressed with this conversation.

'Well, your dad was on a stakeout. So, I had to come. But he's probably arrived home by now.' Amy knew the kids were accustomed to Jake coming to pick them up, especially Mac. But she hoped they didn't mind this change today.

'We're still gonna stop for ice-cream, right?'

'What?'

'You know,' Mac said as if it was obvious, 'It's Friday, we always stop by the ice-cream parlor.'

'Oh,' said Amy. She was completely unaware about this. 'We actually have ice cream at home,' she said.

'Yeah, but we only have vanilla at home. We get other flavors at the parlor.'

'Mac, I'm not gonna spend $12 for you three when we have ice-cream at home.'

'It's just $12,' Mac grumbled.

'Hey! You don't get to determine how much money is 'a lot'!'

Mac groaned. 'I wish Dad was here,' he mumbled. Amy heard that and it hurt. But she kept telling herself that it was just a phase.

As they arrived home, they were greeted by Jake. 'Hey, you guys!' Jake exclaimed. The two of their youngest hugged him while Jake ruffled Mac's hair. It was sweet but Amy couldn't understand why they didn't hug her when she picked them up from school. Still, she loved her kids and she went to get their ice-cream.

'Kids, get your ice-cream!' Amy shouted from the kitchen. Mac was the first to come and grabbed his bowl and went. Amy sighed. Harry and Mac were the next to arrive and sat down at the table. Amy smiled. At least two of her kids still liked being around her.

'Mommy, can we have cookies?' Liz asked.

Amy knew that would only be worse. That would be too much sugar at once. She didn't need her kids to get a sugar rush. Besides, that would ruin their appetite for dinner. 'Umm… Sorry, sweetie, but no,' she answered.

'But we're hungry,' reasoned Harry.

'I'm sorry, baby. How about I prepare you two a mini-sandwich each?'

'No, we want cookies!' they both started shouting continuously. Amy had no clue what to do. Just then, Jake walked into the kitchen. Surely, he would have a solution.

'Hey, what's all the commotion about?' Jake asked. He saw the ice-cream bowls. 'Oh, vanilla ice-cream? You know what goes great with that? Chocolate cookies!' Jake exclaimed as he gave the kids a handful of cookies each.

Amy was dumbfounded. All she could do was look on as their kids thanked their dad for the sugary delight. After cleaning the bowls, Amy decided to revie some of the arrest reports her officers had submitted to them. Since she had to pick up the kids today, she had decided to bring the reports home. As she walked to their study, she heard some noise from the living room. When she entered the room, she saw Mac playing FIFA. She sighed again.

'Mac, did you complete your homework?' Amy asked.

'No, not yet,' the boy replied.

'Well, how about working on that?'

'Ugh, Mom! We just returned from school. Give me a break!'

Jake entered the room just then. Surely he would tell his son something, right?

'You playing FIFA?' he asked. Mac nodded. 'You up for a game of El Clasico?' he asked as he sat down.

'I call Real!'

Amy was done at this point. But she didn't want to show that she was mad. 'Okay,' she said slowly, 'I'm gonna look at some reports.'

'Okay, babe,' Jake said without looking up. Amy sighed yet again.

As she walked upstairs, she walked past her study and walked into their bedroom. Yes, she loved her work but she was just done today, done with everything. She flopped on her side of the bed as she curled up into a ball. She kept on thinking how the kids seemed to like Jake instead of her. And why wouldn't they? A dad who bought them ice-cream, gave them all the sugary substances they liked, and played videogames with them? How could she ever compete with that? She remembered how scared Jake was when they expected their first child. She constantly reassured him that he'd be a great dad. What they should have been discussing was how bad a mother Amy was going to be. She started crying into her pillow. And she did so for what felt like forever until she felt a pair of hands wrap around her from the back while someone spooned her. She immediately knew who it was.

'It's okay, Ames, it's okay,' Jake said as he softly wiped her tears. Eventually, she did stop and they stayed like that for some time

'Am I really such a bad mom?' Amy asked, breaking the silence.

'Hey!' Jake said in a loud whisper, 'Don't ever say that!'

Amy turned to face her husband. Jake put a loose strand behind her ear as he rested her head on his chest. He then started to stroke her hair. 'It's just,' Amy started, 'our kids like you so much. They prefer you to me at everything.'

'What? No, they don't.'

'Yes, they do! You're so good with them. All I am to them is their boring, highly strung mother.' She started sniffling again.

'Oh, Ames,' Jake said as he wiped her tears again. 'I know you don't wanna talk but can you answer me one question?' Amy nodded slowly. 'Who is the one who helped taught Mac to ride a bike, gave Harry the umbrella and was fine with being wet, makes Liz laugh the most, give our kids a hug every time they asked for it, pulls pranks on me with the help of the kids, started our own mini-heists for every Halloween, takes our kids to the mall for Christmas shopping, and helps them with their homework every day?'

'Me,' said Amy softly.

'Exactly,' said Jake as he smiled.

'But Jake, that doesn't mean the kids love me.'

'Another thing you should never say. Plus, if they didn't love you, why else would they sing and make breakfast for you every birthday and Mother's Day, always ask for your opinion, call you twice a day whenever you're out of town, help you around the house, and tell you that they love you more often than not? You are the ultimate mother/genius. And the kids know that too.'

Amy had tears in her eyes, happy tears. What would she do if Jake was not there to help her through everything? She couldn't even begin to imagine how difficult her life would be. 'I love you,' she told him.

'I love you too,' he said as they shared a soft, sweet kiss. 'So,' he said after they parted, 'you wanna help me make dinner?'

As they walked into the kitchen they saw Mac at the stove. 'Hey! What're you doing?' asked Amy.

'Oh,' said Mac as he looked at his parents with a smile, 'Well, it's either Dad or the both of you making dinner every night. Thought I could help with that tonight by making pasta.' Jake and Amy smiled at their son.

'Mommy! Mommy!' Liz called as she ran into the room, 'Can you help me read this story?'

'Mommy, can you help me with this project about invertebrates?' Harry asked as he entered the room.

As Amy looked on at Liz and Harry fighting over who got their mom's help first and Jake making sure Mac didn't burn down their house, Amy realized how much she loved her family and how much her family loved her. And she would never question either of those ever again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This too was based on a recommendation and I really hope you all liked it!  
> Like I always say, if you have any suggestions or ideas, please tell me!  
> Thank you!


	26. The Wrong Surprise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The kids plan a small but sweet surprise for their parents' anniversary but it goes all wrong.

Amy woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside her window. She turned to look at the digital clock on her nightstand. 7:11, May 20, Saturday. She smiled at that. It was a special day. Why? The frame beside the clock told her that on this day, fifteen years ago, she got married to the best guy she could ever wish for. That day seemed to be the prime example of Murphy's Law: 'Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.' But it was perhaps the most memorable day in her life, perhaps only equaled by the other three frames that shared the stand – each showing the day their children first entered their world. Amy thought how perfect her life had come to be.

She was brought out of her thoughts as Jake turned in his sleep. Usually, she'd let him sleep to his heart's content every Saturday. But she just had to wake him up today. For once, she wanted to be the first one who wished the other on their anniversary. She knew the most effective way of waking him up – peppering his face with kisses. Jake slowly opened his eyes and they both smiled at each other.

'Hey,' Jake said softly.

'Hey,' replied Amy. 'Happy anniversary,' she said in a loud whisper as they kissed each other softly.

'Happy anniversary,' Jake replied as they parted.

'So, what do you have planned today?'

'I have called my mom to take the kids for today.'

'Then?'

'Ames, I'm not gonna tell you.'

'Why?' she whined.

'It'll ruin the surprise. Plus, I've not planned much.'

'Well, whatever it is, I'm sure I'll love it. So please? Just a few hints?'

'Hmm… I've not planned much. Just dinner at The Full Moon, we get some Belgian waffles, return home watch some movie, and then celebrate.'

'That sounds beautiful,' Amy said as the two kissed. It was soft but lasted longer than either of them had thought at first, not that they were complaining.

'You know,' Amy said as she looked at the clock, 'the kids won't be up for at least another half an hour or so.'

Jake looked intrigued. 'What do you have in mind?' he asked.

'We could celebrate early,' she said coyly. The next thing they knew was that they were both under the covers, moaning in pleasure. Nothing could stop this session of theirs. Well, except one thing.

The two lovers heard a loud crash and three distinct screams. They would know those screams even if they were faint. But they weren't faint. They originated at the entrance to their bedroom and just as the two separated, they could hear and see their three kids scurry downstairs. In an attempt to wish their parents a happy anniversary, the three kids had decided to surprise them with breakfast in bed. Instead, they were horrified at what they saw, as would any other child.

'Oh, God! Oh, God! Oh, God!' Amy kept on saying as the two of them quickly put on their clothes.

'Hey, it's okay,' Jake tried reassuring.

'No, Jake! It's not okay! They came to wish us a happy anniversary and we scared them. And, oh, they made us breakfast! They were just being really, really good children by giving us a really sweet surprise and we surprised them, in the worst possible way!'

'Ames, they'll be fine. I once caught my dad having sex with another woman and look at me.'

'You mean how it scarred you for life and you hated your dad after that?'

Jake's expression now went from relaxed to worried as it finally dawned on him. 'Oh, my God,' he said slowly, 'We've totally ruined our kids.'

Downstairs, the kids were having a discussion of their own in the living room. 'Okay, no one ever talk about what happened, alright?' Mac, the thirteen-year old, asked.

'Okay,' replied Harry and Liz. But then Harry looked confused. 'Just to be clear, Mom and Dad were having sex, right?' Harry asked his brother.

Mac smacked him on the head before replying, 'What is wrong with you? Why would you say that?'

'I don't know, I just wasn't sure,' replied Harry as he rubbed his head.

'What is "sex"?' asked Liz innocently. She was just a bit young to not fully understand what happened.

Mac smacked his brother again. 'Now look what you've done!' he accused Harry.

Jake and Amy then entered the room as the kids sat on the sofa awkwardly.

'Well, good morning,' began Jake, 'Although I doubt if it is a "good morning" with what happened – '

'Jake!' Amy snapped.

'Oh, right. Look, I know what you all saw today horrified you and, Liz, you might be a bit young to fully understand.'

'You were having sex,' Liz said innocently. Mac facepalmed as Jake and Amy were left dumbstruck.

'Uh… yes, that is true,' Amy said. 'You know, you're such a smart girl. You make me proud,' Amy said as she laughed awkwardly.

'Ames, worst time to appreciate our daughter's intelligence,' Jake said.

'Sorry,' Amy said as she dropped the act.

'Look,' Jake took over, 'we're sorry. We should've been more careful and we weren't. We promise to be more careful from now on. So, if we could just forget about today, that would be best.'

'Yeah, okay,' the kids said as they left the room. They just didn't want the conversation to last longer.

'Oh, thanks for the breakfast! We really appreciate the thought!' Amy shouted. It was just the two of them in the room.

'Well, that went better than I expected,' Jake said.

'Yeah, it did,' agreed Amy.

'Although the kids probably would want some time away from us.'

'Understandable.'

'Which means we can have some time for ourselves…'

'That's tempting.' The two of them started kissing again.

'Oh, my God! Already?' Mac shouted as he entered the room to get his mobile. He left the room in a hurry.

'Maybe we should just wait till your mom picks them up,' Amy suggested.

'Yeah, agreed,' Jake said as the two went to have breakfast.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, another great suggestion and what I hope became a good story. I really appreciate all these suggestions. So please keep 'em coming!!  
> Thank you all!


	27. Please Don't Fight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jake and Amy get into a fight that worries their children

Jake and Amy returned home at 9 p.m. This was late, considering they had three kids and one parent, usually Jake, would pick the lids up from school and preschool. They were only late when they had to work, attend a social function, or in case of an emergency. As they entered the living room, they were greeted by Karen, whom Jake had asked to pick up the kids today.

'Oh, you guys are back!' Karen said as she got up. 'So, is it all okay? No more problems?' she asked.

'Mom, there was no problem to begin with. It was really just a misunderstanding,' Jake said.

'Yeah, right!' scoffed Amy as she rolled her eyes.

Karen knew there was something wrong at work and that the two were upset with one another. But she knew it would be better than to ask them about it. 'Well, the kids are asleep and there's lasagna in the fridge for you two,' she said as she got her things ready.

Jake and Amy thanked her for coming and went to have their dinner. They ate in silence, neither really wanting to talk. After dinner, they went to check up on their children before deciding to call it a night themselves. Right after they both changed Amy spoke, 'If you think we're gonna go to bed without talking about it, you're terribly mistaken, Jake.'

Jake sighed as he turned to her. 'There's nothing to talk about,' he said.

'Oh, my God, Jake! Can you not be so stubborn for once?' They both glared at each other.

_ Flashback: _

_Holt was in his commissioner's office. Sitting across him were the Captain of the Seven-Eight, Amy Santiago, one of the detectives of the Seven-Eight Martin Wiley, one of the detectives from the Nine-Nine, Jake Peralta, and the Captain of the Nine-Nine, Terry Jeffords. Holt sighed as he looked at the four people._

_'I will get right to it,' Holt began, 'Captain Santiago, were you aware that Detective Wiley of your precinct sent in this report to this office yesterday?'_

_'I am,' Amy replied._

_'Captain Jeffords?' Holt asked as he turned to Terry._

_'Yes, sir,' Terry affirmed._

_'Sir, if I may, this is all just a big misunderstanding,' Jake said._  
  
_'Detective Peralta, I did not give you the permission to speak. Detective Wiley, I did read your letter but I would like to hear about these allegations from yourself.'_

_'Certainly, commissioner,' the detective began, 'As you know, the Nine-Nine and the Seven-Eight have been on the case of the Murphy Family, with the Seven-Eight being in charge. However, Detective Peralta insists on working against the primary's orders.'_

_'Detective Peralta, would you like to clarify on this matter?'_

_'Absolutely, this is just a big misunderstanding. Both precincts have been equally involved and have been following one another's orders,' Jake said._

_'Not true,' Wiley said._

_'It is!' Jake retorted._

_'Detectives, please behave yourselves!' Holt ordered. He turned to Wiley again. 'Detective,' he began, 'you have also mentioned that Detective Peralta is using his relation with your captain to his advantage.'_

_'What?' Amy half-shouted. 'Sorry, sir,' she said after composing herself, 'but I had no idea about this.'_

_'You will get your time to talk, captain. Right now, I want to listen to Detective Wiley.'_

_'Thank you, sir,' Wiley said, 'You see, Detective Peralta here often bullies us around often, mentioning that he will get away with it due to Captain Santiago being his wife. Now, when I say "bullies", I mean refusing to cooperate, working on cases assigned solely to the Seven-Eight, etc.'_

_'Why did you not talk to your captain about this?'_

_'I was afraid she would take Detective Peralta's side.' When Holt looked at Jake, the detective was ridden with guilt. Amy was burning inside seeing to all of this._

_Holt sighed before speaking, 'Detectives, could you please show yourselves out. I wish to talk to your captains.' The detectives did so and Holt got up to lock the door and shut the blinds. He then went back to his seat. 'I am so disappointed,' he said._

_'We're sorry, sir,' Terry said first, 'We'll make sure it doesn't happen again.'_

_'Agreed,' said Amy, 'Sir, I had no idea about what Jake was doing.'_

_'Santiago, I truly believe you. However, this is the Murphy family we are talking about. We know how serious and dangerous this case is. Any ounce of unprofessionalism will result in terrible consequences. I hope I do not have to talk about when the three of us were in the Nine-Nine.'_

_'No, sir. We understand.'_

_Holt then turned to Terry. 'Jeffords,' he began, 'I would like to wish someone else on the case instead of Peralta. I hope Diaz or Boyle are available.'_

_'I will look into it, sir,' Terry answered._

_'What? No!' Amy exclaimed. She was mad at her husband but she also knew how much he wanted to work on this case. 'What if I put someone else on the case?' she suggested._

_'Santiago, that would not work as Jake as made a bad impression on many of your officers,' Holt explained._

_'But, sir, I – '_

_'Santiago, please stop this negotiation. I am being rather kind. Normally, I would have assigned this case to a completely different precinct. In fact, if the Seven-Eight and the Nine-Nine ever have to work together again, please do not assign Peralta on the case unless absolutely necessary, Jeffords.'_

_'I understand, sir,' Terry replied._

_'Well, I am glad we got this sorted out. I wish you both the best of luck on the case. Thank you.'_

_As Terry and Amy left the office, she turned to him. 'Hey, I'm so sorry about Jake,' she apologized._

_'Hey, that's alright. I was afraid one of you would get suspended,' Terry replied._

_'What?' Amy asked, unclear about what he had said._

_'Well, there have been officers suspended for life due to nepotism in the force. That's what Jake hinted at. It could've been the end of his career if not yours,' Terry explained._

_As he walked on, Amy stood frozen, fully understanding the tension in the room now._

Present Time:

'It was just a misunderstanding!' Jake shouted.

'Okay, did you or did you not use our relationship to get your way in this case?' Amy asked.

'Fine! I did!'

'How many times?'

'Once.' Amy gave him a look that told him she wasn't buying it. He sighed, knowing he had to come clean. 'It was seven times,' he said slowly.

'Oh, my God! Seven times? Are you insane?'

'Look, it's not that big a deal!'

'"Not that big a deal", huh? Jake, you could have had to bid goodbye to being a cop! Nepotism is very much frowned upon.'

'Look, Holt's the commissioner. It's not like he'd fire any of us. He knows us.'

'Oh, and also, how dare you embarrass me like that in front of Holt! Besides, that's no reason to exploit our relationship. I mean, are you seriously gonna use our relationship to get your way around on the force? Is this all it means to you?'

'Ugh, you're overreacting again…'

'Oh, am I?'

Before Jake could speak again, they heard someone crying. They knew it was one of their kids but what made it weird was that it sounded like they were right outside their room. They shared a worried look as they slowly walked to the door. As they approached the door, they heard their eldest child.

'Liz, don't cry! Daddy and Mommy will hear us!' Mac warned in a loud voice.

Once they fully opened the door, Jake and Amy saw Mac and Harry trying to shush their sister.

'Liz? What's wrong?' Amy asked as she kneeled down to hug her.

'And why are you all out?' Jake asked their sons.

Mac and Harry looked guilty. 'We heard you and Mommy fighting,' Mac said slowly.

'And we couldn't sleep,' continued Harry.

'Mommy and Daddy, please don't fight! You scared us!' Liz wailed in her mother's arms.

Jake and Amy looked at each other. They both realized that their fight had gone on too long. But whatever was the matter, they never wanted their children to feel insecure about the family. Jake went to put the Mac and Harry to bed while Amy went to Liz's room. It took them some time to comfort their children but they did it. They were great parents after all.

As Jake walked into their bedroom, he saw Amy doing her crosswords like she always did. She seemed so happy, so peaceful. He knew he had been wrong today, especially when he was unnecessarily lengthening their fight. Why did he have to be such a douchebag? Amy was definitely mad at him. He knew he had to give her some space. So, he grabbed his pillow and headed for the couch in their living room.

'Hey, where are you going?' Amy asked as he was just about to leave.

Jake sighed. 'I'm gonna crash on the couch tonight,' Jake replied.

'No, you're not.'

'Why?'

'First of all, I don't want our kids to go into the living room tomorrow morning and ask me why their dad is sleeping on the couch. Second of all, I find it difficult sleeping a bed without you.'

'Ames, that's sweet, but I've been an ass today. You did everything you could to keep me on the case and I didn't even thank you. I mean, I should've followed Terry and your orders throughout the case, even that idiot Wiley's. And now, I scared the crap out of my kids. I've been a terrible detective, a crappy husband, and a lousy dad today. I'm so sorry.'

Amy smiled softly as she got out of bed and walked over to her husband. 'Jake,' she said as she took his hand in hers, 'I'm sorry too. I just got really scared after Terry told me that you could've had to leave the force. And I shouldn't have overreacted like that. Also, _you_ didn't scare _your kids_ , _we_ scared _our kids_. I deserve to sleep on the couch as must as you do.' They hugged each other.

'I'm so sorry about using our relation to my comfort multiple times. I promise I'll never exploit you or our family for my ease. I'm also sorry for embarrassing you in front of Holt and Terry. And I'm sorry for not listening to Wiley on the case.'

'I'm sorry too for everything I said.' They parted but they were both smiling softly at each other. 'But don't be sorry about not listening to Wiley. That guy's an idiot for questioning your instincts. Plus, he sent a letter to the commissioner without informing me about all the details. He's in trouble.'

Jake laughed softly, thinking what a cool wife he had. 'I love you,' he said.

'I love you too.' They shared a soft kiss. 'So, you wanna cuddle as we sleep?' she asked.

'More than anything,' replied Jake.

And when they woke up the next morning, they had pretty much forgotten about their fight.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, it hurt when writing this. I hope Jake and Amy never have such a big fight. But, even if they did, they'd make through it 'cause they're Jake and Amy. I just feel we sometimes need a bit serious discussions with our favorite couple. And this story is based on a suggestion that asked just that. It was a great suggestion and I hope you all enjoyed this story.  
> Keep the suggestions coming! I wanna know what the readers want!  
> Thank you!!


	28. Favorite Food

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In a process to get their son to eat, Jake introduces Mac to his new favorite food.

Amy plopped onto her couch in the living room as her three-year old son played on the floor. He was so hyperactive. Amy just hoped he'd tire himself out, so that there would be some peace in her house. Plus, being eight months pregnant didn't make it any easier. She looked at her watch. Jake would be home in about twenty minutes or so. It also meant that Mac hadn't eaten in more than four hours now. With all the playing and jumping, Amy knew he was going to come up to her and tell her that he was hungry soon.

'Mac, how about you get something to eat?' Amy asked her son.

'Okay!' the boy shouted as he ran into their kitchen.

Amy entered the room. 'So, what do you want?' she asked him.

'Ice-cream!' the boy shouted. Amy was afraid of this. She didn't want to give Mac, an already hyperactive three-year old, more sugar to add to his energy.

'You can't have ice-cream, Mac,' she informed.

'Oh,' said Mac, as if he had no idea. 'What can I eat?' he asked innocently.

Amy smiled softly as she opened the fridge. 'You want a sandwich?'

'No.'

'Okay, how about oatmeal?'

'Yuck! No!'

'Yogurt?'

'No.'

'Fruit?'

'No!'

Amy sighed as she turned to face the toddler. 'Are you even hungry?' she asked him as she put sat him down on a chair.

'Yes, Mommy! I'm very hungry.'

'Well, what do you want then?'

'Ice-cream!' the boy said as if it was obvious, which it was.

This wasn't new. He often demanded to eat ice-cream. But when any food item was placed in front of him, he would promptly eat it if he was hungry. Amy thought this was the same case. So, she started preparing a sandwich.

'Mommy, I don't want a sandwich!' Mac shouted from the table.

'Mac, you're hungry. And I know you love my sandwiches,' Amy replied. Amy couldn't cook. Not even if her life depended on it. But she did make sandwiches to die for. Whenever Jake would come from a long stakeout, he'd always pine for her sandwiches. Of course, he didn't always get what he wanted but Amy did make him sandwiches more often than not. It had also become one of Mac's favorite foods too. Maybe not as much as ice-cream but he still loved them

As she put the sandwich, Mac looked up at his mother with a frown. 'I don't want sandwich,' he said.

'Mac, baby, please don't whine. Look, I'll feed you myself, huh?' Amy tried negotiating.

Five minutes later, Amy found herself trying to get the sandwich to just even touch his lips. But Mac was really good at maneuvering his body in ways Amy had no idea. 'Fine! If you don't want it, I'll eat it!' Amy tried to threaten. Well, 'tried' being the key word.

'Okay,' the boy said.

Amy slowly lifted the sandwich to her mouth, expecting her son to stop her any moment. But the boy just stayed quietly as he wondered why his mom was taking so long to eat the sandwich. Just then, Jake walked in the room. 'Hey, you guys! Did you make sandwiches?' he asked.

'Daddy!' the boy said while running up to his father. Jake carried the boy in his arms as Amy put the sandwich back down. 'So, is that for me?' he asked Amy.

Amy sighed. 'No, but it might as well be,' she replied.

'What do you mean?'

'Well, Mac's hungry so I made him a sandwich but he won't eat it.'

'Really? Not even your sandwich?' Jake asked surprised. He turned to Mac. 'Well, what do you want, Buddy?' he asked his son.

'Ice-cream!' Mac shouted again.

'No!' exclaimed Amy before Jake could even say a word, 'No ice-cream before or for dinner!'

They boy looked really guilty for making his mom angry. 'Sorry, Mommy,' he said while looking down.

Amy sighed as she stood up. She walked over to Jake and took their son from his arms. 'It's okay, baby,' she said as she stroked his face, 'I just want you to eat, Mac.'

'That's it!' Jake said as he turned to his wife and his son. 'Ames, you think you can play with Mac for about forty five minutes?' he asked.

'Yeah, why?' Amy asked.

'I'm gonna make dinner!' he replied while smiling widely. It wasn't unusual having Jake make dinner. He was good at cooking and had been doing it more often after being a dad. What made Amy suspicious was how excited he looked at the prospect of making dinner.

Forty five minutes later, Amy and Mac walked into the kitchen to a delicious smell.

'Wow! That smells good. What did you make, Babe?' Amy asked as she put her son on the chair.

'You'll see,' said Jake as he put a bowl in front of Mac.

'This isn't ice-cream,' Mac said as a matter of fact.

'It's better,' said Jake as he fed his son a spoonful. Mac's eyes lit up. 'So, how is it?' Jake asked as Mac swallowed.

'Yummy!' Mac exclaimed. 'What is it?' Mac asked.

'It's called mac and cheese,' Jake said.

Mac stared at his father. He was shocked. 'But...' he trailed off.

'Yeah?'

'But I'm Mac…'

'I know. Isn't that cool?'

'Yeah! Mac and cheese is my favorite!' Mac exclaimed as he started shoving his mouth with his new favorite food.

'So, how'd you know he'd like this?' Amy asked Jake as she helped him lay out the table for them two.

'Couple of reasons,' Jake said, 'First of all, it's mac and cheese! Who doesn't like mac and cheese? Second of all, his name is Mac. He was bound to love this stuff.'

'I'll give you the first point but the second wasn't necessarily gonna hold true.'

'Are you kidding me? When I was five, I thought Jack-o'-lanterns were my best friends because they sounded like Jake-o'-lanterns. So, Mac was gonna love mac and cheese.'

'Hmm… well, he is definitely your son if there ever was a doubt.'

'I'd say he's definitely our son given how stubborn he is.'

Later that night, Amy was awake in bed while Jake was sleeping. 'Jake, wake up,' she said softly while poking him.

'What? Is everything alright?' Jake asked as he sat up straight.

'Yeah, I just had a question,' Amy said.

'What?'

'Well, you know how you figured out Mac would like mac and cheese?'

'Yeah?'

'Well, I was wondering what you'd feed Harry once he will get fussy,' Amy said as she stroked her baby bump.

'Umm… I don't know.'

'Come on, think!'

'Well, maybe something that rhymes with his name maybe. Like cherry or berry. Or maybe something that kinda shares syllables with his name. Like herring. Why are you asking right now?'

'Because Harry is being fussy and he wants to eat.'

'What?'

'Food cravings, Jake! Now go get me a cherry pie, a blueberry pie, and some pickled herring!'

'Ames, it's one in the morning!'

'Just go!' Amy said as she pushed him out of the bed. As Jake was about to leave, she called him out, 'Jake, wait!'

'What?' asked Jake as he turned around.

'Get some mac and cheese too.'

Jake sighed as he picked up his car keys but he smiled as he thought how chubby this kid was going to be when he arrived in a month.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The suggestions that I keep on getting are great! I cannot thank you all enough. I hope you enjoyed the story. Please tell me your ideas or suggestions for future stories if you have any.  
> Thank you!


	29. Favorite Moment?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Harry and Liz reveal what their favorite moment from Mac's soccer game was, Jake and Amy are awestruck.

'Harry, Liz, come to put on sunscreen!' Amy called out from her bedroom.

'It's just a thirty minute game, Ames. I doubt we'll need sunscreen,' Jake said.

'Yeah, but we'll be in the stands before the game and we obviously have to wait for Mac after the game.'

'Considering all that and the game, an hour tops.'

'Hey, no harm in being safe.'

As is on cue, their five-year old son and four-year old daughter ran into their room, while wearing their soccer jerseys. Today the family was going to watch Mac's 7-a-side soccer match of kids under the age of nine at their school. While Jake and the kids loved soccer, Amy despised it.

'I don't even get soccer,' Amy said as she rubbed the sunscreen on all the exposed skin of her daughter.

'It's a fun sport,' Jake said as he did the same with their son.

'Ugh, I'm only going because Mac's a part of the team.'

'Whatever the reason, Mac's gonna appreciate you being there,' Jake said as he got up. 'You two have your water-bottles filled?' Jake asked their kids.

'Oh! We forgot!' Harry said as the two ran to finish the task. As the two left, Jake proceeded to wear his own soccer jersey.

'You're wearing your jersey too?' Amy asked.

'Well, just the shirt, but yeah. I mean, we are going to a soccer match,' Jake replied.

'So, I'm gonna be the odd one out.'

'You'll be fine,' Jake said as he walked closer to hug his wife.

'I just don't want Mac to think I don't care about his activities.'

'Trust me, he doesn't.'

'You'll teach me all the rules, right? And you won't leave my side?'

'Always,' Jake said as he kissed the top of her head.

After reaching the ground and taking their seats, Jake decided now would be a good time to start with the rules. 'Okay,' he began, 'you ready to learn about soccer?'

'Yup,' replied Amy as she took out a notepad and pen from her pocket.

'Babe, it's just a sport. You don't need notes.'

'Just start!'

'Now, remember all the standard things I'm gonna say is about professional football, which may not apply here today.'

'Okay…'

'For instance, the game is to be played between two teams comprising of eleven players each. Butthat is obviously not the case today – it's a 7-a-side match today.'

'Got it.'

Jake went on informing Amy about tall the basic rules and things. Amy was confused at some points but Jake assured her that she'd understand it better once the game started. Then the players began to take the field as each kid was welcomed with applause. Mac was cheered on by his family and he slowly waved once he saw them. Then the announcer asked them all to stand up for the national anthem.

'Now's when we stand up for the national anthem,' Jake said to Amy.

'Haha, very funny, Jake. I said I didn't understand the game, not the announcer,' Amy said, as they stood up.

After the national anthem, the audience sat down as the two teams shook hands. 'You see the boy in front of Mac?' asked Jake.

'Yeah. Why's he wearing a band so high on his arm?' Amy asked.

'That's the captain's armband,' Jake explained.

As the match began, Jake went on explaining the match further.

'So, that was a foul, right?' Amy asked.

'Yup,' replied Jake, 'that challenge was way too rough. Looks like you're getting the hand of it, huh?'

'Well, it's thanks to you… and the notes.'

As the match progressed, Mac's side got a goal, courtesy of McClane 'Mac' Peralta himself. The crowd went wild at the goal but not more than his own family.

'Yay!' Harry cheered.

'Goal!' Liz screamed.

'Well done, Baby!' Amy cheered on.

'Um… Ames? You might not wanna call Mac "Baby" here,' Jake said.

'What? Why?'

'It's his school. He'll not appreciate his friends knowing you call him that. Plus, this is a soccer match. No one calls the players "Baby" unless it's their partner.'

'Hey! Mac does not have a "partner"! He's just eight!' Amy shouted. She did not want to have the thought that Mac was in a relationship.

'I know, I know. I'm just kidding.'

Just then, Amy felt a push from her side as water spilled over her lap. It was Liz.

'Liz! What did you do?' Amy asked as she tried drying herself off.

'Sorry, Mommy,' Liz apologized.

'Oh, it's okay.' Amy could never stay mad at the adorable little girl. As she dried her daughter off, Jake noticed something on the floor.

'Uh… Ames?' he called.

'Yeah?' Amy replied.

'Your notes are gone,' Jake informed.

'What?' Amy asked. Jake lifted the notepad from the ground. It was wet and all her work had gone to waste. She needed those notes, she really did. She sighed as she flipped through them. 'But you know what? I think I've got the hang of soccer now. I don't need the notes,' she told Jake.

'Really?'

'Yeah. It's pretty much like handball except you have to use your feet. Oh, my God! They should call it "football"!'

Jake softly laughed at his wife's naivety. 'Ames,' he said, 'it is called football. We're the ones who call it soccer here.'

'Oh,' said Amy as she finally got it.

At halftime, it was Mac's side winning 1-0. Jake went to get them some snacks before the second half started. The second half was a nervous one. The opposition score two goals in quick succession to take the lead.

'Oh, this is bad,' Jake commented.

'Well, there's still ten minutes. They can pull this back, right?' Amy asked.

'Yeah,' Jake said.

With less than five minutes to go, things looked bleak but Mac converted an airborne cross into a goal via a spectacular header. The crowd went wild again as did his family. The game was back on level terms. Then, with less than a minute, Mac's team were on the counterattack. With some really silky moves, Mac finished it off in style. The referee's whistle blew, indicating that it was over. Mac's team won!

While one team rejoiced, another team were in tears. Seeing this, Mac went to console them and the rest of his friends followed. The crowd cheered at how empathetic Mac was as they two teams left the field.

Jake and Amy were talking to some of the other parents while they waited for Mac. 'Daddy! Mommy!' they heard a voice calling and as they turned around, it was Mac, running to them with the match ball in hand. The five of them hugged.

'Well done, Bud! We're so proud of you!' Jake said.

'We sure are!' chimed in Amy.

'Yeah! You played so well!' exclaimed Mac.

'You scored! A LOT!' Liz screamed.

'Thanks,' Mac said.

'But why do you have the match ball?' Amy asked.

'Oh, if you score three goals in a match, you get to take the ball home. It's called scoring a hattrick,' Mac explained.

'Oh, that's nice,' Amy said as they walked to the car.

'What was your favorite moment, Harry and Liz?' Mac asked.

'We liked your goals,' Liz started.

'And we liked your skills,' Harry continued.

'But our favorite moment was when you went to tell the other team it was okay after the game,' Liz explained.

'Yeah, it's like what Daddy and Mommy tell us: always thank each other after the game and, if someone is sad, you should always talk to them and tell them it's okay.'

Hearing their children's words, Jake and Amy smiled at each other with pure love. They were all so young, each less than ten. Yet, they heard perhaps the most sophisticated explanation to ever come out of children's mouths. They had been great parents by teaching them the important things in life and, today, their kids had proved just that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so many things:  
> First, I love the suggestion.  
> Second, it was sooooo weird writing soccer instead of football. But I had to since they live in America.  
> Third, I hope you liked the story.  
> Fourth, please keep the suggestion and ideas for future chapters rolling in.  
> Fifth, thank you!!!


	30. Double Tuck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amy opens up to Rosa about (what she feels) an embarrassing moment.

Rosa took out all the books and study materials from her car and walked up to the front door of Jake and Amy's house. When she entered, it seemed like it was empty at first but then she heard some faint sounds from the nursery. As she walked in, she could see Amy with her three-month old son, Harry.

'Hey,' Rosa said as she approached her friend.

'Oh, hey,' Amy said as she turned around with her son in her arms.

'Sorry I just walked in. The door was open,' Rosa explained.

'Oh, that's fine. Let's just go to the living room,' Amy suggested as the three of them made their way downstairs.

'So, what brings you by?' Amy asked after they settled down.

'Right,' said Rosa as she took placed all the materials on the table in front of them. 'Holt and Terry asked me to give you these. They're for you to practice for the lieutenant's exam,' Rosa explained.

'Oh, well Jake could have brought it when he returned home. There was no need for you to go through the trouble.'

'Hey, it's not a problem. I had to go interrogate some suspects and I decided to drop by on my way.'

'Well, thanks. And please thank Holt and Terry on my behalf.'

'Sure. So, Harry wearing you down?' Rosa asked as she looked down at her godson.

'Not even half as much as Mac used to at his age. All he needs are some toys and he's good for the entire day,' Amy replied.

'Speaking of Mac, where is he?'

'At the daycare.'

'Of course,' replied Rosa, realizing how obvious it was.

'So, how are things at the precinct?'

'The usual. Although Holt and Terry are a bit stressed about their promotions.'

'Understandable.'

'Boyle once brought a prostitute from the streets in the precinct. He kept saying they were estranged cousins.'

'Was he?'

'You've got to know the answer to that is no.'

'Right.'

'Anything else?'

'Not much. Hey, can I get some water?'

'Oh, sure. Here, just take Harry,' Amy said as she transferred her son into her best friend's arms. She then got up to get Rosa her order. The infant looked up at Rosa as Rosa looked down at him. She wasn't comfortable around most babies but, ever since Mac was born, she was getting more and more accustomed each time they were around her. Besides, this was her godson. Harry then pointed at Rosa and laughed at her and Rosa couldn't help but softly smile. Amy entered the room just in time to witness the event. 'Aw,' she cooed as she put the glass on the table, 'you love Auntie Ro-Ro, don't you, Harry?'

'Of course, I'm the cool aunt, he's obviously gonna love me,' Rosa said.

Amy laughed softly. 'I agree,' she said as she softly brushed her son's soft hair. Then Amy did something Rosa had not seen in quite some time. She often did this in the past when she liked someone a lot – she double tucked her hair behind her ears and giggled. Rosa nearly choked on her water. 'Woah! You okay?' Amy asked, genuinely concerned for her friend.

'Yeah,' Rosa managed to say in between coughs. 'I just saw you do that,' she explained while coughing.

'Do what?' Amy asked confused.

'The double tuck,' Rosa said after composing herself.

Amy looked embarrassed. 'Um… what do you mean?' she asked

'Dude, come on. You know what I'm talking about.'

Amy sighed. 'I just didn't think you noticed. But, yeah, when I like someone a lot, I do that,' she explained.

'Yeah, I know. But you also do it when you just like anyone, even if it doesn't mean anything.'

'What?' Amy half-screamed and Rosa realized she had already said too much.

'Uh… nothing,' Rosa replied hoping she'd buy it.

'Rosa…'

Rosa sighed. She realized she had to tell her friend. 'Look,' she began, 'I know you double tucked when you were with Majors.'

'Who's Majors?'

'You know, Detective Majors.'

'Oh. But, wait, that was in a private club. How'd you know?'

'Jake told me.'

'How'd Jake find out?'

'He broke into the club.'

'What?' Amy half-screamed again.

'Look, he really liked you and I told him to go and talk to you before you did your double tuck.'

'Wait, what?' Amy half-screamed louder.

'Yeah, and he was devastated you double tucked.'

'Oh, my God! Why didn't you tell me? I really liked Jake too! I probably wouldn't have gone out with Majors if I knew!'

'Hey, I don't involve myself in other people's relationships, even if they are my best friends,' Rosa explained as Amy nodded. 'But the bigger question is,' Rosa continued, 'why you double tucked. I mean, it didn't work out with Majors in the end.'

Amy sighed. She didn't like to remember about the times when she was out with guys but she had feelings for Jake. 'Rosa, it's embarrassing,' she said not wanting to recall that night.

'Dude, I've seen all you on every level of your drunkenness scale. Trust me, I've seen you at your worst.'

Amy sighed before speaking, 'Okay, the thing is Majors asked me to thank Jake for helping solve the case. And once I remembered Jake, I did the double tuck.'

'That's it? Come on, man! I was expecting something juicy.'

'That's not all. I constantly brought up Jake throughout the night no matter how many times he tried changing the subject. I mean I liked Jake so much, I kept regretting how I never told him about it.'

'Wait, so you were on a date and you completely talked about another guy throughout the night? Neat!' Rosa was smiling. She found this hilarious.

'Look, you may find it funny but it bugged me for ages. And, now, when you tell me Jake really liked me too, I just wish I could go back in time.' Amy was clearly bothered with this but Rosa didn't understand.

'Amy, why does this bother you? You and Jake ended up together and look how great your life is. I mean, you're so happy and you have two kids. What happened in the past doesn't matter 'cause you got what you wanted.'

'I suppose you're right. Thanks, Rosa,' Amy said as the two hugged. Rosa normally didn't talk about these things. But she had a soft spot for Amy as they were best friends. Amy really appreciated that.

'Okay, I gotta go for the interrogation,' Rosa said as she put Harry down and got up.

After Rosa left, Amy looked down at Harry. 'You've got such a great godmother, Harry,' she whispered as the baby slept peacefully in her arms.


	31. Dance with Me!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Amy is returns home from a party, her kids see a new side to her.

Jake was playing with his three kids when he heard the doorbell ring. As he went to answer, he saw Rosa standing alongside an obviously drunk Amy.

'Hey,' greeted Jake, 'you guys left the party early, huh?'

'Yeah, well the bachelorette has a child so we had to call it a night early. Plus, your wife is super drunk,' Rosa explained. The party they were talking about was Genevieve's bachelorette party. Genevieve had invited Amy, Rosa, and Gina too.

'Hey, babe,' Amy said in a sultry manner.

'Oh, my God! Pervert and horny Amy! Ugh, this is not good!' Jake said.

'What? Like any other drunk version of Amy is good?' Rosa asked.

'No, but the kids are awake! They can't hear all the weird things that come out of Four-Drink-Amy's mouth!'

'You know how we have kids?' Amy started speaking again, 'It's 'cause we had sex! Except for Liz, someone else had sex. Maybe we should do it the way Liz's actual parents did it!'

'No, no, no! This is bad, real bad!'

'Come on, babe,' Amy said as she leaned forward to kiss him. But before their lips could meet, she ran inside, covering her mouth, most probably to throw up.

'Well, at least she'll go one step down,' Jake said to Rosa. After Rosa left, Jake went inside to find their children confused.

'Daddy, why was Mommy running to the bathroom?' Mac asked.

'Oh, she's not feeling well,' Jake said.

'And why was she covering her mouth?'

'Like I said, she's not feeling well, she probably had to throw up.'

'Will she come and tuck us in bed?' Liz asked.

'Well, I'm not sure, Liz,' Jake replied. Then he realized it would probably be best if their kids went to bed early instead of seeing another version of their drunk mother. 'You know what? You should all go to bed now. I'll tuck you in,' Jake advised.

'But what about Mommy?'

'I'm sorry, Liz but Mommy isn't feeling good today. You can meet her tomorrow morning.'

Just then Amy entered the room. She had gone down one level on the drunkenness scale, i.e. Three-Drink-Amy or Amy-dance-pants, and Jake's attempt to get their kids to bed was thwarted. Amy danced into the room, swinging her arms wildly and dancing the best she could. 'There you all are! Come and dance!' she exclaimed. The kids had never seen anything weirder. Just as Jake was about to stop Amy, he got a call. When he looked at who it was, he saw that it was Gina.

'Hey, Gina,' he answered.

'Jake? Why'd you answer your phone?' Gina asked.

'What?' asked Jake, not understanding the question.

'You're supposed to be having wild sex with your drab of a wife, boy.'

'What has gotten into you?'

'I made sure Amy was gonna be horny by the end of the night so that you could enjoy.'

'What? Well, whatever, it didn't work anyway.'

'Huh?'

'She threw up. Now she's one level down and dancing.'

'Bitch! What is wrong with you? I was being a good friend! Can't even take a gift! That's the last time I'm helping you, dumbass! I can't – '

Jake hung up before Gina finished her rant.

'Jake, come on! Dance with me! We're gonna have to dance in a month at the wedding! Liz, you wanna dance, right?' Amy asked their youngest.

'Um….' The little girl had no idea what to say. She always agreed with her mother but Amy was being really weird now. Amy decided to play Taylor Swift on her phone, knowing none of them could resist. But only Liz and Harry joined her as Mac got even more confused and Jake sighed with exasperation.

'Daddy?' Mac called.

'Yeah, Mac?' Jake responded, his head still in his hands.

'I thought you said Mommy was not feeling well. So, why is she smiling and dancing?'

Jake sighed again as he turned to his son. They hadn't really explained about being drunk, let alone Amy's drunkenness scale, to their kids. But now was probably as good a time as any. 'Mac,' Jake began, 'you remember the grown up drinks we tell you about? And how you can't drink them until you become twenty-one?'

'Yeah,' Mac responded.

'Well, sometimes when Mommy drinks too much, she becomes hyperactive, just like you do when you have too much ice cream.'

'Oh,' Mac said as he processed his dad's words. He then laughed. 'Mommy's funny when she's dancing,' he pointed out.

'Yeah, she is,' Jake said slowly.

The dancing lasted for another ten minutes or so, until the kids got tired. Amy started yawning too and Jake realized this was the time everything would return to normal. 'Okay, Ames,' he said, 'I'm gonna put the kids to bed, you go to our bedroom, okay?' Amy didn't respond and left the room, dancing.

After putting Liz and Mac down, Jake started tucking Harry in. 'Daddy?' the boy called.

'Yeah, Bud?' Jake responded.

'Dancing with Mommy was fun,' he said sleepily.

Jake smiled a bit. 'I'm sure it was,' he agreed.

'Can we dance like that at Uncle Charlie and Aunt Genie's wedding?'

'Yeah,' said Jake as he ruffled his son's hair, 'but that's in a month. Just go to sleep for now, okay?'

'Okay. Goodnight, Daddy.'

'Goodnight, Harry.'

When he reached his own room, he couldn't see Amy. 'Ames?' he called out.

'Yeah?' she responded from their joined bathroom. At least she was hearing and responding well.

'You alright in there?' Jake asked.

'Never better,' she replied. At least she wasn't slurring her words.

'You ready for bed?'

'No.'

'What? Well, what do you wanna do then?'

Just then she came out of the bathroom. She had a bottle of beer in her hand, which Jake could tell was already empty. 'You,' she responded as she put the bottle down and started kissing Jake.

Jake was surprised at first but he then kissed her back as he helped them into bed. Honestly, who could blame him for wanting to have sex with his awesome wife?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Right, so this was based on a suggestion. I gotta say, all suggestions that I've been getting have been SUPERB! Keep 'em coming, folks!! I hope you enjoyed this story, too!!!  
> Thank you!!!


	32. Always Listen to Amy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Jake is going through a case file, he has an epiphany.

Jake entered his apartment to find Amy reading on the couch. She looked so happy. She always did whenever she was reading. 'Hey,' he said as he sat on the couch.

'Hey,' Amy replied as she gave him a peck. 'Why'd you have to go to the precinct so early on a Saturday?' she asked.

'Well, you know how Holt is going to a conference for three days?'

'Yeah.'

'He wanted to assign me a case before he left.'

'Ooh, and what was it?'

'Hitchhiking murderer, already killed people in twenty six states.'

'Holy crap! Well, we're not giving anyone a lift. Not until you solve this case, at least.'

Jake laughed slightly. 'Okay,' he said.

'Good. Still, I missed you not being here for most of the morning.'

'Yeah, well I'm here now.'

'Wait, so you don't need to work on the case today?'

'Well, I could if I wanted to but Holt said I could start from Monday.'

'Oh, thank God!' Amy said as she rested her head on her husband's shoulder, 'We've not had a Saturday to ourselves for so long.'

'I know. So what do you wanna do?'

'Well, to be honest, I need to get my dress for David's wedding at around three from the drycleaner's…'

'Ugh, Ames, I don't want to go get your dress for your brother's wedding in our first Saturday in nearly two months,' Jake groaned.

'Hey, let me finish! We can then go look at some houses, just the two of us. And we can go have dinner someplace nice.'

'That sounds really good,' Jake said as he kissed the top of his wife's head. He then placed his hand on the small baby bump protruding from Amy's belly. He did this absentmindedly ever since they got to know they were being a family of three about a month ago.

'Yeah, but that's at three and it's just past ten,' Amy said as she looked at her watch.

'Hmm… true. So, what do you wanna do till then?'

'Well, I just started this book and I really wanna finish it.'

'Oh,' said Jake. He was expecting some other suggestion.

'Oh, you wanted to do something we both could,' Amy said as she finally realized. 'Well we could watch a movie or – '

'Hey, Ames, it's okay. If you wanna read, I have no problem.'

'You sure?'

'Absolutely. I mean, who am I to stop you from doing something you love?'

Amy smiled at him. He was just so perfect, always keeping her happy. 'Thanks, Babe,' she said as she gave him another peck.

'Plus, I can do some reading myself,' Jake said as he took out a case file from his bag.

'Okay, if you ever want some help, your sergeant's right here.'

'Sure.'

As Amy returned to her book, Jake started reading the file.

** Jake's Mind: **

**Okay, let's start cracking down on this case. John Williams, the hitchhiking murderer, was last seen twelve days ago in Jefferson City, Missouri. Hmm… okay. Missouri to New York… Kinda weird. Okay, never mind. Never uses the same murder weapon in two consecutive murders. Used a penknife on his last victim, who was found two days ago. So we can rule any penknife murders out for the next victim.**

**Hmm… penknife. That's so weird. I mean, why call it that? If something's a 'penknife', then shouldn't it be half pen and half knife? I mean 'armchair' I can understand – it's a chair that's got arms. But a penknife isn't a pen with a knife, neither is it a knife with a pen. Huh… it's so weird. Woah! Even ice cream is like that. It's not half ice, half cream and it's also not cream with ice. Why come up with these names? Why? But ice cream is good. So, I suppose we can let that one slide. Hey, then we can let the penknife slide too. One case solved!**

**Okay, back to the actual case. So this guy came from Missouri and is now in New York. Hey, wait! We don't know how he got here! We don't have his flight information! Oh, my God! How'd he get in New York from Missouri in the space of two days? I need someone's help.**

**Oh, your brilliant wife is right there. But wait, she's reading a book. She loves reading. Listen, Jake, you are NOT going to disturb Amy when she's reading. But, I mean, she is your sergeant. Plus, she loves her work. She won't mind. Ugh, this sucks! I just wanna sleep. Staying up till two when having to report in at eight was not a good idea. But Rick and Morty is such a good show. I should've listened to Amy. Listen, Jake, you will ALWAYS listen to Amy, ALWAYS.**

Reality:

'Jake? Babe? You okay?' Amy asked as she reached for her husband's hand.

'Um… yeah. I'm good,' Jake replied.

'Are you sure? I think you're tired. You went to bed at two and you had to get up at seven. Five hours are not enough, Jake.'

'No, that's not the problem. I just don't understand the case.'

'What part?' Amy asked as she took the file from his hands and started going through it.

'Well, I get that he came from Missouri. But how did he get her in New York from Missouri in two days? How do we have no records of his flight?'

'Jake, he didn't fly into New York.'

'No, but he arrived here two days ago. So, it had to be via flight.'

'No, Jake, he didn't arrive here two days ago. He arrived here twelve days ago.'

'What? But his last victim's body was found two days ago.'

'Yeah, but that doesn't mean he arrived two days ago. He could've killed his victim days ago and they only found the body a couple days ago.'

'Oh,' said Jake as he realized how obvious it was. 'But then how are there no transport records of how he came in New York?'

'Babe, he's called the hitchhiking murderer. It's obvious he hitchhiked into New York.'

'Of course,' Jake said as he rubbed his eyes. He couldn't believe he forgot that.

'Jake, you have to sleep. Look just for an hour at least.'

'No, Ames, I'm fine.'

Amy sighed. 'Okay, fine,' she said as she returned to her book.

Jake could tell she was a bit disappointed. Then he remembered something. Literally, two minutes ago, he told himself that he'd always listen to Amy. 'Okay,' he said, 'I'll take a nap.'

Just as he got up to go to their bedroom, Amy called him, 'Jake!'

'What?'

'We both know how difficult it is for the both of us find it difficult to fall asleep without each other. So…' she stretched her feet onto the coffee table, '…you can sleep here.'

Jake smiled. He made his way back to the couch and lay his head on Amy's lap. She began stroking his hair while she read her book. Jake was facing her belly, where their baby was now about a month old. He thought of how this child would one day find himself in the comfiest and safest place where he lay his head right now, Amy's lap. He softly kissed the baby bump. This caused Amy to stop running her hand through his hair, but only for a few seconds, after which, the stroking resumed. Although he wasn't looking up, Jake knew Amy was smiling. And, as he dreamt of their family and smiled in his sleep, Amy thought he couldn't look any more adorable.


	33. Running a Fever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Liz has a fever, Amy worries it's because she doesn't like her new home.

Amy was in the baby nursery, carrying a wailing Liz in her arms in an attempt to calm her down. Liz was normally a very deep sleeper. Jake often joked that it was more difficult to wake her up than to get her to sleep. So, when her daughter started crying in the middle of the night, Amy had a reason to be worried.

'Liz, it's okay. Mommy's here,' Amy cooed but the one-year old did not stop crying. When Amy pressed her hand against her daughter's forehead, she found it to be burning. The reason for Liz to be crying all of a sudden in the middle of the night was now clear – she had a fever.

The next morning, Amy did not want to go to work. She didn't even want to leave her house. She just wanted to stay home and look after Liz. But, being a lieutenant, it wasn't easy to leave her work alone.

'Ames, you have to come to work,' Jake told her as she still tried to calm their daughter as he fed both himself and his wife. He wasn't going to let a hungry Amy take care of their child.

'But, she has a fever,' Amy reasoned.

'Look, I get that but it's just a fever. Kids get fevers all the time. I mean, Mac's had fevers and so has Harry.'

'I know, but they were at least one when they had a fever.'

'Babe, Liz is one, it's only that she's been with us for six months and it feels like she's only six months old.'

'You're right.'

'I mean, it hurts me too to see any of our children crying. But it's just a fever, Ames. We can't get too worried about that. Besides, we can call my mom. You know she's great with the kids.'

'Okay.'

'Plus, if you're gonna stay home, Mac and Harry will wanna stay too.' Jake gave her a soft peck on the lips. 'Trust me, it'll be alright,' Jake said as he got up. And Amy knew he was right, he often was when it came to family.

Jake had hoped that, once they were at the precinct, Amy would be distracted and her mind would worry less about Liz's fever. Amy also knew that he was going to be watching her every move, i.e. if she'd call Karen to ask about Liz, or even go search about how to take care of an infant having a fever. So, she tried to stop herself from doing all those. But once Jake was out on a stakeout with Rosa, Amy couldn't help herself. She had to know how her daughter was doing.

As she entered the break room, she called Karen.

'Amy, hi!' Karen answered.

'Hi, Karen,' Amy replied, 'I just wanted to know if Liz was doing better or not.'

'Oh, she's asleep right now but her fever's at the same level.'

'Oh, well, how'd you get her to sleep?'

'Honestly, I think she cried herself to sleep. I know that sounds like I'm a bad grandmother. I'm sorry.'

'What? No, that's fine. You're a great grandmother. I mean, that's why we asked you to look after Liz.'

'Thanks, Amy. But, hey, you return to your work. I'll call you unless it's an emergency.'

'Okay, thank you, Karen.'

As Amy put her phone down, she sighed.

'So, Liz is sick?' Charles asked. He had entered the break room without Amy noticing.

'Yeah,' Amy sighed.

'Do you know why?'

'I don't, really. Neither does Jake.'

'Well, whenever Niko's running a fever, I make a cup of gogol mogul for him. It's a Russian hot drink made by whisking egg yolk, honey, sugar, and butter with milk. If you want, I could make some for Liz.'

Amy flinched at Charles' remedy. He always came up with weird food combinations. 'Thanks, but we'll pass,' Amy said.

'Okay, well I hope Liz gets better,' Charles wished sincerely as he got up to leave the room.

'Um… Wait. Could I ask you something?' Amy asked before Charles could leave the room.

'Oh, okay, sure,' Charles said as he sat back down.

'Have you ever, um…. Have you ever felt that Nikolaj will not accept you as his family? Not that you're a bad father or anything, I just – '

'Hey, I get it,' Charles interjected her.

'You do?'

'Of course. You're worried that Liz isn't liking the new environment at home, which resulted in her fever, aren't you?'

'Yeah,' Amy said softly. 'So?' asked Amy, returning to her earlier question.

Charles sighed. 'Yeah, I have,' he answered.

'I mean, I love her so much, and so do my boys. She looked so happy the day she officially came into our lives. But maybe now she's realizing she doesn't wanna stay with us. I mean, it may not be true but it's also possible.'

'Yeah, I get it. I mean, Genevieve and I had no idea how Nikolaj would react when we met him. Heck, we didn't even know if the process would work out for us. We weren't married so we had no clue what role that would play. Even after we got Niko, we were constantly nervous if he'd ever question living with us. He was five when we brought him home so he had some sense of what was going on. We just wanted everything around him to be perfect.'

'So, does that nervousness eventually go or do you live with it?'

'Well, I guess it goes but not completely. But the thing you have to realize is that while you're not her birthmother, you're still Liz's mother. You're her mom, first and foremost. Sure, she may grow up to want to meet her birthmother, but she'll always consider you as her mother, no matter what. She'll never feel differently about you. And you know what will make her love you even more? When she is trying to understand about her being adopted and her birthparents, you will always be there, making sure life is easy.'

For the first time in nearly twenty four hours, Amy smiled. She was so grateful the Charles, an adoptive parent himself, was able to remove her fears. 'Thanks, Charles,' she said.

'Hey, no problem. I get how scary it is.'

That evening, when Jake and Amy returned home, Liz still had a fever. But as soon as she saw Amy, she stopped crying almost completely. As she got Liz down to sleep, she covered her with a blanket. In the corner, she saw a little embroidery: 'To our first goddaughter, Elizabeth "Liz" Peralta-Santiago! From Auntie Ro-Ro and Uncle Charlie.' Amy smiled as she read those words. She and Jake were great parents, but even the greatest needed help. And who better to help them than Rosa and Charles?


	34. It Wasn't Loaded

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Jake makes an error in judgment, Amy is outraged.

As Amy entered her house, she heard a voice behind her, 'Freeze! Stay where you are and put your arms in the air!' Amy did as she was ordered. 'Do you have any objects that could hurt me?' the voice asked.

'Of course not, Officer Mac,' Amy said, barely able to contain her laughter. Also, even though she didn't see him, she knew her nine-year old was trying his best not to laugh as well.

'Now, turn around,' Mac ordered.

Again, Amy did as she was asked. But once she turned around, she screamed. It wasn't her fake screams like when she pretended to be a hostage while playing with her kids. No, this was her actual scream like when she was genuinely scared. Her genuine shrill scream. It was so shrill that Jake, Harry, and Liz ran downstairs to see what happened. Once she saw the three of them there, she turned to Jake. 'Jake,' she said, 'why is our son carrying one of our guns?'

'Oh, relax,' Jake said nonchalantly, 'it's not loaded.'

'Okay, but I'd be much happier if Mac wasn't carrying it,' Amy said, still clearly mortified.

'Ames, - '

'Jake, just take the pistol from him!' Amy screamed.

Jake sighed as he went to his son and took the gun from him. 'Sorry, bud,' he told Mac.

'Oh, that's okay,' the boy replied, 'I didn't wanna scare Mommy, I just wanted to play with her. Sorry, Mommy.'

'Oh, baby, that's okay,' Amy said as she went to hug him, 'But you can't play with Daddy and Mommy's guns, okay? You play with the guns we got for you.'

'Mommy, does that mean Liz and I can't play with the guns Daddy gave us too?' Harry asked innocently.

'What?' Amy shouted as she looked up to find their other two kids also holding real guns. 'No, you can't,' she said as she took the guns away from her children. When she turned to look at Jake, he was standing still, looking out, as if nothing was going on. But once he met his wife's eyes, he went pale. He knew he was in for a world of pain. 'Okay, you three go do whatever you want,' Amy told her kids and they ran to watch T.V.

'So…' Jake began.

'Not here, our room.'

Once they reached the bedroom, they put the guns in the proper places. As Jake sat down on their bed, Amy grabbed a book from her table and started hitting him. 'What the hell were you thinking?' she asked as she continued hitting him.

'Ow! Amy, ow! Let me speak, ow! Ow! Just stop!' Jake said.

'Not yet!' Amy said.

Two minutes later, she tossed the book back on the table and placed her arms on her hips. This was an exact replica of how Amy would talk to their kids when they did something wrong. 'Next thing you'll be telling me is that you let the kids have a sip of wine,' Amy said. Jake remained quiet. 'Oh, my God! You don't, do you?' Amy shouted again.

'What? No! I don't, I promise!' Jake replied quickly.

'So? Who asked you if they could play with real guns?'

'No one,' Jake said softly.

'Wait, what?' Amy tried processing Jake's words. 'So, you just gave them our guns?' Amy asked as she reached for the book again.

'Wait, Ames, I can explain!' Jake said as he got up and stopped her. 'Okay,' he began, 'I first watched Die Hard when I was nine. As you know, that's one of the reasons I became a cop. I used to love impersonating John McClane and there were several times when I would reenact the scenes. I used to always wonder how cool it would be to have a real gun. Now, today, I watched Die Hard and I remembered all this from my childhood. And I realized that Mac's nine. So, maybe he wants to hold a real gun.'

Amy sighed as she sat down and took his hands in hers. 'Jake, that first part of a nine-year old you, it's cute. But you're almost fifty now. You have to have better judgment.'

'Ames, I get that. But you gotta admit that you overreacted a bit.'

'No, I didn't!'

'You totally did. The guns weren't even loaded.'

'Loaded or not, real guns should not be near little children's reach, Jake.'

'Ames, the most damage that could've happened was if they threw or hit each other with the guns.'

'You don't get it, do you?'

'Get what?'

'Look, it's adorable that our kids love playing cops. It's so sweet that they wanna be like us. That's why we got them the police sets. But Jake, a real gun is not a joke. Yes, you were the one who gave it to them. Yes, they weren't loaded. But what if one of the kids found a gun in the park, unattended, and brought it to us. Even if it was unloaded, would you find it fun? Would you find it adorable?'

'I'd be scared, shaken to my core,' Jake said slowly.

'Exactly, Jake. We're raising our kids well but I don't want them to be close to our guns. They may get the wrong idea and think that guns aren't serious. I'm not saying they'll do anything illegal but what if they want to have another look at a real gun and they come in here and take out one of our guns, which may be loaded?'

'I'm so sorry, Ames. I didn't realize this. What kind of a dad am I?'

'You're a stupid dad. A good but stupid dad,' Amy tried to joke but Jake was still worried.

'I just… This was so wrong of me…' Jake said as a few tears trickled down his cheek.

'Oh, Jake,' Amy tried comforting him as she lay them down on their bed, hugging him and running her hand through his hair. 'It was an innocent mistake, really. If you had an adult who dismissed that thought of yours when you were nine, you wouldn't have done this today. Look, we can move past this. It was just a mistake. Our kids are smart and really, really understanding. Trust me, it's gonna be alright.'

'Alright,' Jake said softly, 'I'm so, so sorry Ames.'

'I know you are,' Amy said as she kissed the top of his head.

And he really was. Of course he was. He'd made an error in judgment, one that could've been avoided if an adult, most probably his dad, would have been around him more often when he was a child. But Jake was the adult now. He was the one who had to be around the kids more often. Once he realized this, he became a much better dad. Amy was particularly impressed, not because she thought he was always going to be irresponsible, but rather because he was already such a great dad. But Jake, like usual, would always attribute him being a great dad to the fact that Amy Santiago was always a great wife.


	35. Sharing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two stories:   
> 1) When Amy borrows something of Jake's.  
> 2) When Harry wants to borrow something of Mac's.

** January 21, 2016 **

Jake entered Amy's apartment with the bags of takeout. She was on the couch, at least two blankets covering her, and having hot chocolate. She really hated the cold. 'Hey,' Jake said as he sat down and put the takeout on the table in front.

'Hey,' Amy replied, giving him a soft peck on the lips. 'I thought you were working, what're you doing here?' Amy asked.

'Oh, we got the man. Yeah, I chased him and all Terry had to do was stand so that he'd run right into him.'

'That's nice. What about your paperwork? Don't you need to work on that?'

'Hey, do you not want me here or not?' Jake asked as if he were offended.

'Of course I do,' she said as she gave him another peck. 'You brought takeout?' Amy asked as she looked at the bag on her table.

'Oh, yeah. I don't know if you've had dinner or not. I was hoping we could have dinner together.'

'Well, as a matter of fact, I was gonna order in as well. But having dinner with you sounds lovely. I'll go get some plates.'

As she threw the blankets off and got up to get the plates, Jake saw that she was wearing at least two sweaters underneath a hoodie. 'Sheesh, you must be cold,' he commented.

'Yeah, I feel cold really easily,' she said. But there was something about the hoodie she was wearing that grabbed his attention.

'Ames, is that my hoodie?' he asked.

'What? This?' she asked as she looked down at it, 'No, it's mine.'

'Really? It looks a lot like my N.Y.P.D. hoodie.'

'Jake,' she said as she walked back towards the couch, 'we both work in the force. Our hoodies are obviously gonna look the same.'

As she sat down and started taking out the food, Jake was still observing the hoodie. 'True,' he said, 'but that one's mine. It even has the stains that you said were "horrid".' Amy looked like she was caught. 'Ames, why are you wearing my "horrid" hoodie?' Jake asked. He was smiling at the fact that Amy, the one who needed everything perfect, was wearing something that was unclean.

'Okay, yes,' Amy began, 'this is your hoodie. Couple days back, when you drove me home from work, I was finding it really cold. Your hoodie was there in the backseat and I wore it. It was so warm and comfortable I didn't wanna take it off once you dropped me. But you can have it back now, I guess. I mean, I have my own hoddies.'

As she was about to take it off, Jake stopped her, 'Ames, it's okay. You can wear it.'

'You sure?'

'Yeah, I've no problem you borrowing my hoodie or anything else. Just keep yourself warm, okay?'

'Thanks,' she said as she kissed his cheek. 'Oh, I forgot the drinks,' she said as she got up.

'Oh, just water for me.'

'Why?' asked Amy. She was already pouring them two glasses of wine.

'I'm driving.'

'No, you're not.'

'What?'

'You're spending the night here.'

'Ames, as much as I'd love that, I gotta do the paperwork to today's case.'

'True,' said Amy as she walked back to the couch, 'but you did ask me to keep myself warm and I'd feel warm if you would be with me in bed.'

Jake laughed softly, having been beaten by his own argument. And he did keep her warm that night and almost every night since then.

** July 19, 2029 **

'Harry, that's my T-shirt!' Mac shouted.

'But I wanna wear it! It's blue!' Harry shouted back.

As Amy entered their room, she saw her two sons fighting over a T-shirt. 'Mac! Harry! Stop fighting!' she ordered. The two boys stopped immediately. They were obedient kids. 'Now,' continued Amy, 'what's the matter?'

'I want to wear this shirt, Mommy, but Mac won't let me,' Harry complained.

'Mac, is that true?'

The boy looked down. 'It's mine,' he said.

'What about sharing? What have Daddy and I told you about sharing?'

'Sharing is caring.'

'Exactly.'

'But Mommy, it's my favorite shirt! And it's big for Harry.'

Amy looked at the shirt Harry was carrying. It did look big for Harry. 'Harry, come here,' she said. When Harry did, Amy helped him put on the T-shirt. It draped him almost entirely. 'Your brother's right, it is big for you.'

'But, Mommy, I like it,' Harry protested.

Amy sighed. Harry loved wearing Mac's clothes. He often said that wearing his elder brother's clothes made him feel like a 'big boy'. Amy found it cute but this T-shirt was not Harry's size. 'Harry, it looks like you're wearing a dress. I'll find some other old clothes of Mac's that you can wear, baby,' Amy said as she got her son out of the shirt.

When Amy exited the room, her daughter was waiting for her. 'Mommy, why were Mac and Harry fighting?' Liz asked.

'Harry wanted to wear one of Mac's T-shirts,' Amy explained.

'Does that mean they'll take my clothes?'

Amy smiled at the innocence of the girl. 'No,' she said as she fixed a braid on her head, 'they don't want a girl's clothes.'

And Amy was right. Mac and Harry were not interested in Liz's clothes. Not then, not now. What Amy didn't realize was that Liz would borrow her brothers' clothes as she grew up. 'Mom always borrows Dad's clothes,' Liz would argue with her brothers. And Amy would always smile softly as she heard her daughter's argument.


	36. Mother Knows Best

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amy reassures her son that she will always be proud of him, no matter what.

Harry was undoubtedly the smartest of Jake and Amy's three children. He was both book smart and street smart. He had gotten Amy's genes when it came to most things, including school work. He made his own schedules, was always punctual, and always aced tests. He was often ridiculed by Mac and Liz for being nerdy. Even Jake would join in the fun sometimes but Amy would almost immediately stop him. But even though he was made fun of by his siblings, he was not affected. He was happy for being who he was and his parents, especially his mom, would always support him.

Unfortunately, when Harry was in the sixth grade, he had a case of the chicken pox. It took him just over a week to fully recover but he was more concerned about his school than his health. You see, Harry had to submit a Science project the day he was returning to school. But with the chicken pox, his teacher had offered to extend the time for him. She had asked Amy to tell Harry to take it easy.

'Harry, you need to rest,' Amy told her son.

'No, I need to work on this diorama,' he replied.

'Honey, I'm impressed but I already talked to Mrs. Matthews. She's agreed to extend the time for you.'

'But I can do it by the original due date.'

'Harry, I know how important these things are to you. But you're not at your best right now. Just rest, and once you've fully recovered, you can make your project even better.'

'Mom, I can manage it. I've made a schedule for resting and working.'

Another trait Harry had gotten was stubbornness. This was both Jake and Amy's genes at work.

When Harry was done recovering, he had also finished completing his project. It was a good project, but it wasn't up to his usual standards. Yes, he was sick, but he still hoped it deserved an 'A'. When he took his project to school, his teacher asked him to stay back after class.

'Harry, I'm glad to see you're back and I'm very impressed that you completed the project by the actual time set,' Mrs. Matthews said.

'Thank you, Mrs. Matthews,' Harry replied.

'Now, you're project is very good, probably the best in class, but I suggest you take it home and work on it more.'

'Is it not good?'

'No, it's very good, like I said. But I feel that you could do better if you weren't sick.'

'Oh, thank you. But I'm submitting this project today.'

'Are you sure?'

'Yes.'

Mrs. Matthews sighed. 'Well,' she began, 'in that case, you got a….'

When Amy went to pick up her kids from school, she could tell Harry was upset. 'So, Harry, how'd your project go?' she asked.

'Um… it was fine. Mrs. Matthews said she'd grade my project tomorrow,' Harry replied.

That didn't sound right to Amy. She knew Mrs. Matthews well enough to know that she graded the projects on the day of submission. 'Really? Why?' Amy asked her son.

'I don't know, she's the teacher! It's her choice! Can we just talk about something else?' Harry said. He was getting impatient.

'Yeah, like about how Jessica fainted today,' Liz said.

'Or, better, we could talk about how Mr. Robertson fell asleep during our History quiz,' Mac said.

Amy sighed as her eldest and youngest talked about their days while Harry looked outside the window, deep in thought.

Once they reached home, Amy got lemonade ready for everyone. Hearing about one of Liz's friends fainting made Amy worry about keeping her children dehydrated. 'Kids, I made lemonade!' she shouted. A couple of minutes later, Mac and Liz entered the kitchen but Harry was nowhere to be seen. 'Mac, where's your brother?' she asked.

'I don't know,' he replied while going through his phone.

'How can you not know? You two share a room.'

'I just don't,' he replied, clearly not wanting to take part in the conversion.

Amy turned to her daughter. 'Liz, you got any idea?' she asked.

'Nope,' she replied. 'Can I get some more lemonade?' she asked as she held her glass out.

'The pitcher's on the counter, help yourselves.'

As Amy went around her house, she kept on wondering what had gone wrong. She knew it had something to do with his project, but what? Surely, he couldn't have gotten an 'F'. Harry wasn't to be seen anywhere. She had looked everywhere except one place – the attic.

When she entered the attic, she saw him looking at his old dioramas. 'Hey,' she said as she approached her son.

Harry quickly put the diorama down and turned around. 'Mom, what are you doing here?' he asked. He was clearly not expecting anyone there.

'I could ask you the same,' replied Amy.

Harry sighed. 'I don't wanna talk about it,' he said as he looked at his dioramas.

'What's wrong, Harry? What happened to your project?'

'How did you know something happened to my project?' he asked surprised.

'Sweetie, I'm the captain in the N.Y.P.D. I can catch culprits from miles away.' Harry nodded slowly. 'So, what's wrong?' she asked as she sat down on the dusty floor.

'There was nothing "wrong" with the project,' he replied while sitting down. 'I got a "B+",' he said before tears rolled down his cheeks.

'Oh, Harry.' Amy carried her son onto her lap. It had been a really long time since he had been there. 'And you're sad because you think you deserve more?' she asked as she rubbed his back soothingly.

'No,' he said in between sobs, 'I thought you'd be disappointed.'

'Harry, that doesn't disappoint me.'

'It doesn't?' he asked as he looked up at his mother.

'Of course not.'

'But you're always so happy when I get 'A's.'

'Well, sweetie, that's because you did your best. Here, answer me this: did you do your best on the project?'

'Yeah, I think so.'

'And do you think you deserved that grade?'

'Yeah, probably.'

'So, it shouldn't matter what I think of your grade. If you get what you deserve, you should be happy.'

'Okay. But what do you think of my grade?'

Amy smiled. 'I think you're the smartest kid,' she said as she kissed the top of his head.

'So, my grade doesn't matter?'

'It never did, never does, and never will. Honey, as long as you've done your best and you're happy with what you get, I'll always be proud of you.'

'Thanks, Mom. I love you.'

'I love you too, Harry.'

A month later, as Amy was searching for a stapler in her sons' room, she happened to come across a draft of an essay, Mother Knows Best. From the handwriting, she knew it was Harry's. As she went through it, she realized that his description of a perfect mother was pretty much describing her. Her eyes welled up with happy tears because she loved it. But perhaps one part in the essay made her most emotional: 'Newton's third law of motion states, "For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction." However, I may have found a case where this law does not hold true – my mom. No matter how much my dad goofs around, my brother acts as an antisocial element, my sister gossips, and I stress about school, my mom's love for us never changes; no more, no less. That is why my mom, Amy Santiago, is the epitome of a perfect mother.'


	37. You Deserve To Be Happy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When her parents constantly bug her about her boyfriend, David steps up to comfort Amy.

As Amy entered her childhood home, she was immediately hugged by her mother, Camila.

'Amy, darling! How was your flight?' she asked.

'Hi, mom! It was alright,' Amy replied.

Victor entered the room at the same time and he hugged his daughter too. They then made their way to the living room.

'So, how have you been?' Camila asked.

'Oh, I've been good. I mean, don't get me wrong, being a cop is tough but the squad's the best,' Amy replied.

'What about that partner of yours? Jack?'

'His name is Jake, and, yes, things have been going really well between us. He's been a great boyfriend.' Amy smiled. The past six months had been incredible. Who knew having your boyfriend as your partner at work made things extra fun?

'Well, if he's your boyfriend, why isn't he here to celebrate David's birthday?' Victor asked.

Amy rolled her eyes. They hadn't even met Jake. Why did they have such a hard time accepting him as her boyfriend? 'Well, he's a cop too. So, he has to work,' she answered.

'But it's a big occasion. You bring boyfriends to big occasions.'

'It's just David's thirty-fifth birthday,' Amy groaned. 'Why do you have a problem with Jake? You haven't even met him,' she asked her parents.

'Well, just in a matter of speaking,' Victor replied before Camila signaled him to stop. Amy had a bad feeling she knew what he meant.

'Oh, my God! Please don't tell me you did a whole background check on Jake!'

'We did,' Victor replied slowly.

Of course they did, they were Santiagos. 'Ugh, why?' was all Amy could ask.

Victor was lost for words. So, Camila spoke, 'Amy, dear, we're just watching out for you. There may be things you don't even know about him. For instance, did you know that he previously liked someone even though he was dating someone else? I mean, that could be you. We don't want you to get hurt.'

Amy buried her face in her hands. They had done a really thorough research. 'Oh, God,' she said softly. 'Okay, Mom,' she began, 'the girl that he was dating was someone called Sophia, and the person he had feelings for was me.'

'Amy, if you knew this, why did you date him? He might do the same with you,' Victor said.

'He won't, okay? I know Jake.'

Victor and Camila shared a look. 'Okay,' Victor said.

'Really?' Amy was surprised they caved in so easily.

'Yes, dear,' Camila said, 'Why don't you go up to your old room and rest? You've had a long flight. The party starts at six so you have about three hours till then.'

After Amy entered her room, she took out her phone to see if she'd gotten any calls or messages. As she switched her phone on, she saw the wallpaper and smiled. It was a picture of Jake feeding her in the break room. She remembered how she'd been working so hard on a case that seemed to be a cold one. She had even refused to eat. But Jake, the ever caring boyfriend, took it upon himself to take care of her. Needless to say, Charles was the one who took the picture. After, finding no new calls or messages, she texted Jake that she's arrived at her parents'. She then put her phone on silent mode as she decided to take a nap. As she lay down, she kept wondering if her parents were truly convinced with Jake as her boyfriend or not. Whatever their opinion, she was going to fight for him, for them. This was a guy who fought for them six days into their relationship. She wasn't going to give up on them after six wonderful months. As Amy thought more about this, she slowly fell asleep.

At David's birthday party, Amy was talking to one of her schoolmates and neighbors, whom she had not met in at least fifteen years. But then someone tapped her shoulder. 'Amy? Amy Santiago?' the person asked.

'Oh, Nathan? Hi!' Amy said as she turned around.

'Hi! It's been some time, huh?'

'Yeah, it has. I think the last time we met was – '

'Last day of college! Yeah, you wanted to be a cop, I wanted to be an engineer, and so we split ways.'

'Right...' Amy said slowly. He seemed to remember that day very well. 'So, I didn't know you were a friend of David's,' she said.

'Oh, I'm not. No, your parents called me.'

Amy was taken aback. She finally understood why her parents had given up on the conversation earlier that day. 'Oh,' was all she could say.

'Yeah, hey, can I get you something from the bar?'

'Oh… Um… Uh…' Amy stammered as she saw her parents in the background, 'Actually, I need to talk to my parents,' she said as she made her way over to them.

'Amy! I hope you're enjoying the party,' Victor said as she approached them. She was furious at her parents. She pulled them to a quiet corner of the room.

'You invited Nathan to this party?' she asked in a loud whisper.

'Well, he's David's friend,' Victor tried to justify.

'No, he's not! You know well that he and I dated throughout college. Why'd you invite him?' she asked. The two parents stayed quiet. It finally hit Amy. 'You want me to start dating again, don't you?' she asked. Victor and Camila nodded slowly. 'Oh, my God! How many times do I need to tell you? I'm in a relationship, I have a boyfriend.'

'Amy, you've just been dating this guy for six months. How can you call him your boyfriend? It's too soon. Just give Nathan a chance. Just talk to him,' Camila said.

'Mom, I'm not going to lead a guy in the wrong direction! In fact, I'm not even gonna stay at this party.' With that, she left the room.

Amy was out on the balcony, smoking and thinking how stubborn her parents were. She loved them but there were times when she wished they could be more supportive of her choices, just like Roger and Karen were when Jake first introduced her to them as his girlfriend.

'Hey,' a voice said from behind and Amy quickly threw the cigarette away. When she turned around, she saw that it was David. 'Don't worry, I won't tell our parents,' he said.

'What're you doing here?' she asked.

'Well, Mom and Dad told me that you had stormed away and they asked me to talk to you.'

'Well, you can go back in. I'm not exactly in a mood to talk.'

'That's alright. I don't really wanna go back in; the smell of alcohol is nauseating.'

'Thanks for basically asking me not to smoke,' Amy grumbled.

'Okay, just one question: why is that dork you dated in college here?'

'You mean Nathan?' David nodded. Amy sighed before speaking, 'Mom and Dad want me to start dating him again.'

'I thought you had a boyfriend. Jake?'

'Yeah, but they can't accept it.'

'What do you mean?'

'They did a thorough research on my boyfriend and basically despise him.'

'Why?'

'Because he's the complete opposite of everything our parents stand for.'

'Have you dated any guys between Nathan and Jake?'

'Duh!'

'But Nathan's the last guy that Mom and Dad approved of?'

'Yeah.'

'So, why is it bothering you right now that they don't like Jake? Why didn't it bother you when they didn't approve the other guys?'

'I don't know. I guess, I really like Jake. Really, really like him. We've only been together for six months but, I swear, I don't think I've ever been this happy in a relationship before. I guess, I want this relationship to last forever, you know? Move in together, get married, start a family.'

'Hmm… you ever found some of our parents' rules weird when growing up?'

'What? Of course I did! T.V.-less Sundays, seating arrangements on the couch, they were all ridiculous! Wait, why are you asking me this? Are you gonna rat me out to Mom and Dad?'

'No, idiot! I'm trying to make a point!'

'Yeah, I don't see it. It must be terrible.'

'Just listen to me! Look, Mom and Dad do not have the perfect version for anything, let alone your boyfriend. I mean, these are all relative things. You might like a certain person but Mom and Dad might not.'

'Look, I get that but they should at least get along with Jake.'

'So, what? You're going to go on dating every guy on the planet until Mom and Dad approve of him?'

'But Mom and Dad – '

'Forget Mom and Dad, okay! Look, you deserve to be happy and it doesn't matter whom you date.'

'Look, I appreciate your support but you have to admit that, at some point in time, Mom and Dad will have to accept Jake for who he is.'

David was quiet for some time. Hearing his sister say Jake's name so many times convinced him that she loved the guy. He wanted his sister to be happy. But he realized that she'd only be happy once Jake and their parents got along. 'Listen to me, I said you deserve to be happy and I understand that you'll be happiest when our parents get along with Jake. So, I'll talk to them on your behalf,' David offered.

Amy smiled for the first time that night. She hated David most of the time but he was being really supportive and understanding tonight. 'Thanks,' she said as she hugged him.

'You're so mistaken if you think I'm doing this for nothing in return,' David said as they parted.

'And what if I don't?'

'Your choice,' David said as he slowly walked back inside, 'either I tell Mom and Dad you found their rules weird, or I call Jake and tell him embarrassing stories from when you were a kid.'

Amy's expression went from happy to worried in an instant. 'No,' she said, 'you wouldn't.'

'Hey, I may be thirty five, but my ways of blackmailing you have never changed. In fact, Mom and Dad are right inside. I'm gonna start now,' David said as he entered inside.

Amy sighed as David returned to his usual self. But, tonight, he had been the brother Amy had always wanted. She was brought out of her thoughts when David again came out on the balcony. 'I got your phone,' he taunted as Amy ran after him to prevent any damage.


	38. Playing in the Snow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Liz's first time in the snow but Amy finds it too cold.

Jake woke up to the sound transmitted through the baby monitor, the sound of their one-year old daughter crying. She rarely woke up in the middle of the night, she was a deep sleeper. So, her waking up in the middle of the night meant something was wrong. As Jake made his way to his daughter's room, he saw her sitting up in the crib.

'Hey, Liz, it's okay,' Jake cooed as he carried her.

'Daddy,' the girl whimpered as she wrapped her hands around his neck.

'I'm here, I'm here,' Jake reassured. 'You hungry?' he asked as he offered her a bottle but she gently pushed it away. 'Hmm… you don't need changing and you don't have a fever, probably just a bad dream, sweetie,' he concluded.

'Daddy,' she whimpered again, clearly not wanting to leave her father.

'It's okay, I'm not going anywhere. Hey, how about we look outside, huh? It snowed tonight,' he said as he made his way over to the window. As she looked outside, Liz was in awe of everything seeming to be more or less covered in snow. 'It's pretty, right?' Jake asked. Liz simply gurgled and pressed on of her hands against the window. Jake took that as a yes and smiled. 'I don't think you've ever seen snow before,' he said as a matter of fact. Liz was born in Florida and Jake often called her 'the only good thing to come out of Florida'. Although she didn't know much before she became a Peralta-Santiago, it was highly unlikely that she had witnessed snow before. 'Maybe we can play in the snow tomorrow. What do you say, Liz?' Jake asked but the girl had already fallen asleep again. He smiled as he put her down back in the crib. 'Sleep well, baby girl,' he wished as he kissed the top of her head before making his way back to his own room.

'Liz alright?' Amy asked as he was getting under the covers. Both of them found it difficult to sleep without the other next to them and so she had woken up from her sleep when Jake went to take care of Liz.

'Yeah, just a bad dream,' Jake replied as he switched off the bedside lamp. 'We looked at the snow outside and she fell asleep,' Jake said as he got closer to his wife.

Amy smiled. 'That's nice,' she said as she rested her head on his chest.

'By the way, I told her we could play in the snow tomorrow.'

'Okay,' she replied, already halfway to being asleep. 'Goodnight,' she said.

'Goodnight,' Jake replied as he kissed the top of her head and they slowly slept again.

The next morning, it started snowing lightly again along with some winds. Their boys, Mac and Harry, were eager to go out and play as soon as they woke up.

'Daddy, there's snow! Can we go play? Please?' Mac asked at breakfast.

'Well, it's still snowing a bit and it's a bit windy… I'm not sure,' Jake replied. 'Ames?' he asked.

'I think it'll be alright to play,' she replied.

'Really?' Mac asked enthusiastically.

'Yeah, just keep yourselves warm.'

After breakfast, the parents made sure their children would be warm enough to play in the snow by making them wear thick jackets, caps and gloves. Mac and Harry ran outside in the backyard once they were ready. Just as Jake and Liz were about to join them, he turned around to look at Amy.

'Hang on, why aren't you ready?' he asked.

'Oh, well, it's still snowing and it's windy too,' she replied.

'But you said it was okay to go out.'

'Yeah, for you guys, not for me.'

'Ames…' Jake groaned.

'Look, I know I said I'd join you all but you know how I get cold so easily. I mean, I would've played with you all if it wasn't snowing or if it wasn't windy.'

'But it's Liz's first time in the snow.'

'I know, but I don't like to go out when it's snowing. It's too cold for me.'

Jake sighed. But he understood. She really couldn't deal with the cold. Sure, she had played in the snow before but that was when it wasn't snowing. He never wanted to force her to do something against her will. 'What will you do? You'll be bored all alone in here,' Jake pointed out.

'I can make hot chocolate.'

'You sure?'

'Yeah, you all go have fun.'

When Jake turned back around, Liz called out for her mother. 'Mommy?' she asked when she realized Amy wasn't joining them. Liz was really close to Amy, just as the boys were to Jake. Liz needed her mother almost all the time.

It hurt Amy to know that she wouldn't be there the first time Liz was going to play in the snow. 'Sorry, sweetie, but I'll make hot chocolate for you all,' Amy reasoned as she stroked her daughter's face.

As Amy was making the hot chocolate, she looked out into the backyard where her family was playing. She smiled as she saw Mac and Harry pretending to summit a mountain, while the elder helped the younger every step. She also saw how Jake was trying his best to make sure Liz was enjoying. But the girl seemed to be uninterested after the first few minutes in the snow. Amy sighed. She knew all four of them wanted her there but she had her own problems with the cold.

Jake put their daughter down and held her hands in attempt to cheer her up. She was trying to walk on her own for the past few days and Jake thought she might enjoy trying that on snow. 'You like the snow, Liz?' he asked.

'Mommy…' the girl said softly as she looked up.

Jake sighed. He knew how much Liz adored Amy. 'Sorry, Liz, but she can't come,' he told her.

'Mommy!' the girl exclaimed while pointing behind Jake.

When Jake looked to see what Liz was pointing at, he saw Amy approaching them. 'Hey, you guys!' she greeted them as she carried her daughter.

'Mommy!' Liz exclaimed happily as she wrapped her hands around her mother's neck.

'You decided to come after all,' Jake said with a smile.

'Yeah, something just didn't feel right about you four out here but me in there,' Amy replied.

'I'll say,' Jake said as they shared a soft kiss.

'Daddy, Mommy, help us make a snowman!' Mac asked after he saw their mother.

'Sure, sweetie, I'll be right there,' Amy replied.

Yes, Amy was feeling cold, very cold. In fact, the tips of her fingers bruised a bit, not to the extent that it hurt her though. But being there with her family and enjoying every second of it made her heart warm. And that was all that mattered.


	39. Flirting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When she finds her boyfriend seemingly flirting someone else, Amy is not happy.

Jake was standing outside the precinct building when a woman approached him.

'Excuse me, sir,' the woman called.

'Yes?' asked Jake as he turned to face her.

'Is this the Ninety-ninth precinct?' she asked, pointing to the building.

'Yup. Can I ask why?'

'Sorry, I can't tell you.'

'You can. I'm a cop here,' he informed her as he showed her his badge.

'Oh, I'm sorry,' she replied embarrassed.

'That's alright.'

'It's just that my son, Richard Champion, got arrested about an hour ago today for public intoxication and they needed me to take him home.'

'Oh, you're Richard's mother?' Jake asked surprised. 'Wow, I'd have never guessed it. I mean, he's eighteen and you look so young,' he clarified.

The woman blushed. 'Thank you,' she replied. 'Yeah, I had Richard when I was fifteen,' she informed.

'Wow, it must have been tough.'

'Yeah, it was. Plus, his father didn't want anything to do with him.'

'Oh, that sucks.'

'I just think if there was someone who could teach him right and wrong, I wouldn't be here today.' Jake nodded, fully understanding. 'Anyway, I just wanna thank you for letting him go off easily,' she said.

'Oh, yeah, no problem. It was his first offence, so we were able to let him off easily.'

'Thank you, you're a good officer,' she said as she gave him a flirty smile. Jake was oblivious to all this as he smiled back. 'But I keep worrying that he'll get in trouble. So,' she said as she took out a piece of paper and started writing, 'could you please call me in case he troubles you?'

'Oh, no problem,' Jake replied as he accepted her number and they smiled at each other. Jake was so naïve.

Amy just got out of the building as she saw the interactions between Jake and this attractive woman. She saw her boyfriend accept something from the woman and laugh together. Amy was really jealous. 'Hey, babe!' she said as she walked over to Jake. But before Jake could say a word, she pulled him into a deep, long kiss, making the lady uncomfortable.

'Wow, I think I know what you want for lunch,' Jake said as they parted.

'Oh, uh, I should, um, I should get my son,' the woman stammered as she entered the building.

'So, where do you wanna go for lunch? The Full Moon? Michael's? Home?' he asked suggestively. Instead of getting an answer, he received a smack on the head from Amy. 'Ow! What was that for?' he asked as he rubbed the part.

'For flirting with that lady!' Amy said angrily.

'What?' Jake asked, completely unaware of what his girlfriend was talking about.

'Oh, don't act as if I didn't see you, Peralta! The smiles, the compliments, I saw it all!'

'What? No, she's the mom of that bloke I arrested for a D&D this morning. She came to pick her son up.'

'Oh, really?'

'Yeah.'

'And what was that thing she gave you?'

'What thing?'

'This thing!' Amy exclaimed as she took the piece of paper out from his pocket. As she unfolded it, she couldn't believe it. 'You got her number?' she asked. Jake realized this looked bad and had no idea how to tell her how it didn't mean anything. Receiving no answer, Amy walked towards her car.

'Ames! Wait!' he said as he caught up. 'Look, we weren't flirting, okay? She just gave me her number in case her son got arrested again,' he explained.

'Oh, so if another precinct caught him for something, you're supposed to call her?'

'Um….'

'Do you even know how improbable you catching him again is?'

'Wait, then why'd she give me her number?'

'So that you'd call her, you idiot!' Jake still looked confused and Amy sighed. 'Look, no one gives a cop their private number unless it's for private reasons,' she explained.

'Wait, so that means she _was_ flirting with me,' Jake said as it finally dawned on him.

'Yeah, and so were you.'

'What? No, I wasn't,' Jake said but Amy sighed. 'Okay, Ames, look, you know I'd never flirt with anyone except you. And I guess you seeing us gave that impression and I'm so sorry about that. And she gave me her number and that make it even worse. But you know how weird I find flirting with others. I mean, just last week, you saw how uncomfortable I was when I had to flirt with Rosa when we were undercover. Trust me, I'd never do anything like that.'

Amy smiled. She had acted irrationally. Of course Jake would never do something like that. 'I'm sorry too,' she said as she hugged him, 'I never should have suspected you once. I'm such an idiot.'

'Yeah, you are an idiot, but not because you were worried that I was flirting with someone. You had the right to be suspicious.'

Amy broke the hug to look at him. 'Wait, so why am I an idiot?' she asked.

'Because you're the only girl who fell for my terrible flirting.'

Amy rolled her eyes as she kissed him. They were both idiots – one for not knowing that someone was flirting with him, the other for falling for his terrible flirting skills. But they were each other's idiots.


	40. A New Bet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jake and Amy make a bet on what their daughter's first word will be.

Jake and Amy loved Saturdays. They could wake up late, not stress about work, and, best of all, be with their kids the entire day. This particular Saturday, they were playing with their daughter while Mac and Harry played with each other. Amy helped the one-year old with the alphabet blocks.

'L-I-Z – Liz. That's you, sweetie. It's short for Elizabeth,' Amy taught her daughter.

'Hey, it's not like her first word's gonna be her own name,' Jake remarked.

'What do you think it's gonna be?' Amy asked her husband.

'Isn't it obvious?' Jake asked as he arranged three other blocks. 'D-A-D – dad. That's me Liz,' Jake said as he pointed at himself. Liz pointed at her father and laughed. 'I'm telling you, this kid's gonna be calling me when she says her first word,' Jake said to Amy.

'Oh, please,' Amy said as she looked at her daughter. 'She can't stand if I'm not around. Her first word's gonna be mama or something along those lines. Isn't that right, baby?' Amy asked as she peppered her daughter's face with kisses. Liz giggled at how her mom indirectly tickled her in the process.

'You know, we can make this interesting.' Jake said.

'How so?'

'Mac's first word was dada and Harry's was mama. Liz is the tiebreaker.'

'You're right, that is interesting.'

'So, you wanna make a bet?'

'Jake, that's too childish. We can't bet on our children. What kind of parents would we be?'

'Oh, but we can guess which one will grow up to be the smartest?'

Amy sighed. 'That was you, Jake,' she pointed out.

'Okay, yes, but please, Ames? Please? We haven't had a proper competition in such a long time. Plus, the last time we had a bet, I fell in love with you. Maybe I'll fall in love with you even more.'

'Jake…' Amy groaned.

'Look, and whosever name she says is the winner and they'll get a plaque which reads: "Ultimate Parent/Genius".'

Amy's eyes lit up but she thought it would be wrong to make a bet on their baby. But then Jake made a puppy face, which she could never resist. 'Fine,' she said, caving in, 'but there are going to be ground rules.'

'Okay.'

'Rule one: We don't give all our attention on Liz. We have two other kids, and we can't ignore them.'

'Agreed. Rule two: We don't push Liz over the edge. She's just one; so, if she wants to watch T.V., she'll watch T.V., if she wants to sleep, she'll sleep. No making her upset.'

'Absolutely. Rule three: No matter who wins, the other one can't get upset over it. Liz is one and she doesn't really know what's going on. We just need to be happy for the winner and be happy that our daughter said her first word.'

'Definitely. So, it's settled – the competition begins.'

** Two Hours Later: **

'Liz, look DADDY got you applesauce,' Jake said as he brought her a bowl of applesauce.

'Oh, look here Liz, look what the blocks spell – M-O-M – MOM. That's me, sweetie,' Amy said as she showed her the blocks.

'Really? You think education is better than food?'

'Hey, she's attached to me. We have similar likes.'

Just as she finished her sentence, Liz dipped the three blocks in the bowl of applesauce and threw them at her parents.

'Well, we're done for today.' Jake said as he wiped the applesauce off his face.

** Five Days Later: **

'Your mom is really cool. Your mom is a lieutenant. Your mom really loves you,' Rosa said to the baby in her arms.

'Auntie Ro-Ro, what's this?' Mac asked as he lifted a pair of handcuffs.

'Woah! Where'd you get that?' Rosa asked as she snatched it from her godson's hands.

'Under the sink.'

'That's not for kids, okay?'

'Okay, and Harry spilled the milk on your bed,' Mac said before he ran off.

Rosa sighed. 'Your brothers are a handful, aren't they?' Rosa asked Liz, who was now watching Sesame Street on an iPad.

'Hey, we're here,' Jake said as he and Amy entered Rosa's apartment.

'Hey, how're your parents?' Rosa asked Jake.

'Oh, they're alright. Pretty much the same. How were the kids?'

'They were alright,' Rosa said, not mentioning what Mac had discovered. She knew Amy would kill her.

'Mac, Harry, time to go home,' Jake called out to his kids. They ran into his arms. 'Say goodbye to Auntie Ro-Ro,' he told the boys.

'Bye, Auntie Ro-Ro!' they said.

'Bye, you guys,' Rosa said back as she handed Liz over to Amy.

'Ames, ready to go?' Jake asked.

'Oh, yeah, you go ahead. I just need to talk to Rosa about a case,' Amy said.

'Really? In front of Liz?'

'You're right. Could you please take her?'

'Sure,' he said as he took their daughter and left.

'So, did you say my name to her?'

'Just to be sure, when you say "my name", you mean mom or something like that, right? Not Amy?'

'Yeah, the name she'll call me. You did right?'

'Oh, a bunch of times.'

'How do I know you're not lying?'

'Just ask her brothers. They'll go insane if they hear the word again.'

'Okay, thanks, Rosa.'

'Hey, you know I didn't do this for free. No, pay up!'

'Right,' said Amy as she took out a fifty-dollar bill.

** One Week Later: **

'You know, your dad is a living god. He, I mean, your dad has made the most arrests in the last six months than anyone else has at the Nine-Nine in that time period,' Charles taught his goddaughter. Just then he heard a loud crash. 'Niko? What was that?' Charles called out.

'Sorry, Papa. But Mac, Harry, and I were playing basketball and we knocked over the vase in the kitchen,' Nikolaj explained.

'You know you're supposed to be playing basketball outdoors.'

'Sorry, Uncle Charlie,' Mac said guiltily.

'Oh, it's alright. Just play outside, okay?' The three boys ran outside. 'You kids are cute, but you're brothers are a bit rough, huh? But I love you all because you are your dad's kids,' Charles told Liz.

After some time, Jake entered the house. 'Hey, Boyle,' he greeted.

'Oh, hey. Jake! Where's Amy?' he asked.

'Oh, she met Genevieve outside and they're catching up.'

'Oh, okay,' Charles said as he handed Liz over to her father. 'You'll be glad I used the phrase "your dad" two thousand seven hundred and twenty six times when talking to her,' he informed his best friend.

'Wow, thanks. That's a specific number.'

'Yeah, well I had to keep track of how many times I couldn't say your name.'

Jake shook his head. 'Well,' he said, 'since you lived up to your part of the deal, here you go.' He gave him a paper bag.

'Wow! You got me the turkey testicles!'

'Yeah, just take it before I throw up in it!'

** Four Days Later: **

'Commissioner, thank you for looking after the kids,' Amy said while holding her daughter.

'Oh, it was my pleasure,' Holt replied.

'Jake, why don't you to the car? I need to talk to the commissioner,' Amy asked.

'Oh, I also need to talk to the commissioner,' Jake said as a matter of fact.

They both eyed each other suspiciously. 'Wait a minute,' Amy said slowly, 'you didn't ask him to say your name constantly to win the bet, did you?'

'No! Did you?'

'No!'

'Good!'

'Good!'

Holt stood there, observing the conversation. 'Wait, I am confused. You both clearly asked me to say your names to your daughter,' Holt mentioned.

Both Jake and Amy groaned. 'Well, you did, right?' Jake asked.

'Yes, I did. I constantly said, "Jake Peralta is a smart detective and Amy Santiago is a great lieutenant."'

Jake and Amy stood there dumbfounded. 'You what?' Jake asked.

'I said your names, just like you asked me to.'

Jake and Amy sighed. They should have been clearer on what 'names' meant in this case.

** Two Days Later: **

Amy sat her daughter on her lap while Jake fed her applesauce. 'Jake?' she called.

'Yeah?' has asked.

'I think we should cancel the bet.'

'What? Why?'

'This thing's been going on for over two weeks now. She's not showing any signs of speaking anytime soon.'

Jake sighed. 'Yeah, you're right. We'll be equally impressed whatever her first word is,' he agreed.

'Yeah, she could be her daddy's girl.'

'Nah, she's already attached to her mommy,' Jake said as they shared a smile.

'Plus, if I'm really being honest, I think we were slowly breaking the first rule.'

'What? Ames, no, we didn't break any of the rules.'

'I know, I'm just saying we aren't around them as much as we used to be. I mean, they're close to each other and they haven't complained, but we can't ignore her brothers, not even a little bit.'

'Yeah.'

As they continued feeding their daughter, she looked up at her parents. 'Budders,' she said softly. Jake and Amy froze. 'Budders,' she said again and the parents shared a look of amazement. It wasn't the most fluent pronunciation, but Jake and Amy understood what she was trying to say.

'Oh, Liz, you said your first word! You love your brothers, don't you?' Amy asked as she kissed her daughter's nose. Liz giggled at that. 'Jake, call the boys!' Amy exclaimed.

'Budders!' Liz exclaimed as she saw her brothers and pointed at them. What made it even more special was that the boys smiled and hugged their sister after understanding her. Jake and Amy made sure to capture the moment on their phones so that they could show it to everyone. It was, without doubt, the cutest thing either of them had ever witnessed.

As Liz grew up, she always looked up to her mom, and she loved spending time with her dad, but she would always consider her brothers as her best friends.


	41. What's a Wedding?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jake and Amy's children have a few questions about weddings.

Jake and Amy plopped onto their couch. It had been a long, rough day. No, not at work. They were tired with all the planning for Charles and Genevieve's wedding.

'Was it this difficult and tiring when we were planning our own wedding?' Amy asked her husband.

'I think so, yeah,' he replied.

'I don't know, it just feels like that was easier.'

'Hmm… I guess that's because it was _our_ wedding.'

Amy smiled before speaking, 'Yeah. I still don't get why I'm the maid-of-honor.'

'What? You don't wanna be the maid-of-honor?'

'No, it's not that. I mean, doesn't Genevieve have her own friends from work or someplace else?'

'Yeah, but we're close to their family. I mean, we meet them for lunch twice every month, we've been on more double dates with them than any other couples. Plus, the amount they helped us with Liz's adoption was immense.'

Amy smiled again. Charles and Genevieve had done everything they possibly could to make Liz's adoption a smooth process. 'It's the least we can do,' she said as she took out a binder.

'Ames,' Jake groaned, 'please not now. We've had such a long day. Can't we return to the planning tomorrow?'

'I know you're tired but we promised them we'd look at some of the categories once we got home.'

'Still, can't we at least work on it after dinner?'

Amy thought for some time. He was right, they hadn't eaten. Plus, there were three others who had to have dinner. 'Okay,' she said as she closed the binder, 'you want me to help you make dinner?'

'You know what, I'm so tired I think we should just order in.'

Half an hour later, the family of five was on the couch in the living room, having pizza. They were so tired they didn't even have the energy to walk to the kitchen island. As they were eating, Mac noticed the binder on the table. 'Mommy, what's that?' he asked.

'Oh, that's a collection of all the plans for Uncle Charlie and Auntie Genie's wedding,' she explained.

'What's wedding?' Harry asked.

Jake and Amy shared a look. They had been talking about this wedding so much for the past six months, their kids must have been curious. They hadn't really thought of explaining the concept of marriage and wedding to their kids. 'Wedding is an event where you decide to live with someone you love for the rest of your life,' Jake explained.

'What's love?'

This was getting more complicated. 'Well, sweetie, what do you mean when you tell me that you love me?' Amy asked.

'That I don't wanna leave you.'

'Yeah, so when two grownups decide they don't wanna leave each other, they get married.'

'Mommy and Daddy wedding!' Liz exclaimed.

The parents softly laughed. 'Honey, Daddy and I already got married,' Amy explained.

'Oh,' she said simply.

'Wait, but we didn't see it,' Mac said.

'Well, most people get married before they have kids, Mac,' Jake said.

'What happens at a wedding?'

Jake and Amy looked at each other. They just realized that the wedding in two months would be the first one any of their kids attended. Maybe it would be best to tell them all the basic events of a wedding before the actual day. 'Well,' Jake began, 'the Uncle Charlie and Auntie Genie will tell what they love about one another. Then Mommy and I will give a speech after dinner. And then everyone will dance.' That seemed about all that was needed to explain to their kids the basic outline of a wedding.

'Who'll be there?'

'All your aunts and uncles will be there.'

'Mommy, what's a wedding ring?' Harry asked.

'Where'd you hear that?' Amy asked, surprised their four-year old knew the phrase.

'Here,' Harry said as she pointed to a section in the binder, labelled 'Wedding Rings'.

'Oh, the two people who're getting married give each other a ring.' She didn't want to go through all what the rings signified. They were too young to understand.

'Your ring!' Liz exclaimed as she pointed to her mother's finger.

'Yeah, this is the ring Daddy gave me when we got married,' Amy said as she smiled remembering that special day.

After the dinner, Jake and Amy got their kids asleep. They returned to the couch. 'Well, that was nice. At least they have some sense of what'll be happening on that day,' Jake said.

'Yeah, and it was nice remembering our special day all those years ago,' Amy said.

'It really was.' The shared a soft kiss.

'But we need to return to the wedding at hand now,' Amy said as she opened the binder.

'Okay, napkins – French pleat or Candle?' Jake asked.

'Hmm… French pleat, it's simple but elegant. What do you think?'

'Yup, that's the way to go. What's next?'

'Foods,' Amy said as she flipped the page. But then she froze.

'What's wrong?' Jake asked as he looked over at the binder. There were some really weird, and frankly disgusting, items like sheep's brain, salmon fat and others. 'You know what? I think we can work on this tomorrow,' he said as he got up.

'Yeah, otherwise I'm gonna throw up,' said Amy. 'Actually, I think I am,' she said as she ran to the bathroom. Jake sighed as he followed his wife to hold her hair back.


	42. Will You Dance with Me?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Mac goes to prom, Jake and Amy think about their proms.

'Okay, Mac. You know you're supposed to be back by nine, right?' Jake asked his sixteen-year old.

'No, I'm coming home by ten,' he replied.

'Nine-thirty, final offer – take it or leave it.'

'Fine,' he groaned. Just then Amy entered the room.

'Oh, look at you all dressed up for prom! My baby boy's so handsome!' she gushed as she fixed his bowtie.

'Mom, I can fix it myself!' he said as he took a step back.

'You sure I can't drive you to school?'

'What? No! I'm gonna pick Rachel up by myself. She lives down the street.'

'Ah… Rachel,' Harry said as he entered the room. 'Why don't you want Mom to meet her?' he asked.

'Who meets their child's prom date?'

'It's about time you brought her home. Your girlfriend's all you ever talk about.'

'She's not my girlfriend.'

'Personally,' Liz chimed in, 'I feel sorry for Rachel. I've seen pictures of her, she can do much better than you.'

'You know, that's rich coming from two people who couldn't even get dates to junior prom.'

'Okay, that's enough,' Amy interrupted. 'Mac, enjoy yourself but also be responsible, okay?' she requested.

'Okay, I'm gonna go now. Bye!' he said as he left.

'Now, what are we gonna do?' Harry asked.

'You two,' Jake said while pointing at them, 'are going to do whatever homework or project you have to work on.'

'Already completed them.'

'Of course you did,' Jake said. Harry was like Amy after all, keeping schedules and making school his first priority, after family of course. 'Liz, what about you?' he asked.

'I have one project that's due next month,' she said softly.

'Okay, work on that, will you?'

'Dad – '

'There's nothing wrong with starting early.'

'Ugh, fine.'

'What about me? What do I do?' Harry asked

'Do whatever you want. You've already finished your works,' Jake said.

'American History it is!' he exclaimed as he ran to his room.

'Really? THAT'S what you wanna do? You're so lame,' Liz said as she slumped upstairs.

'So, what do you wanna do?' Jake asked Amy once the kids were gone.

'Hmm… I think I need to look at some of the paperwork the detectives left on my table today,' she said.

'Oh,' Jake said, disappointed. He was hoping they could do something together.

'Oh, I'm sorry,' Amy said after she realized this. 'We can do something else together,' she suggested.

Jake smiled. 'That's alright. I know how much you love your work,' he said.

'You sure?'

'Yeah,' he said as he kissed the top of her head.

'Thanks, babe. But I know what you'd like.'

Ten minutes later, Amy was going through the arrest reports as Jake's head rested on her lap. She ran her free hand through her husband's hair as he went through his phone. He absolutely loved this and so did she. Jake then looked up at her and thought for some time.

'Ames?' he called.

'Yeah?' she answered.

'Did you ever go to prom?'

'Yeah, several times.'

'Being student chaperone doesn't count.'

'Oh, then no.' Jake laughed softly. 'What are you laughing at? Did you ever go to prom?' she asked.

'Yup.'

'Hey, you said being student chaperone doesn't count.'

'Ames, I didn't even know they existed before I met you.'

'So, who'd you go with?'

'Jenny Gildenhorn.'

'Wait, wasn't she the one who ditched you at your own Bar Mitzvah for someone else?'

'Yeah, how'd you know?'

'You kept bringing it up the day Gina and Charles' parents got married. You kept on saying how you wanted to slow dance with her but then she slow danced with someone else.'

'Oh, right. And you brought Gina's great aunt to me.'

'Yeah. So anyway, if Jenny ditched you at your own Bar Mitzvah, how'd you go to prom with her?'

'I don't know, she just came up to me like a week before the actual thing and asked if I'd like to go to prom with her.'

'You must've been ecstatic.'

'Yeah…until she kissed someone else at prom.'

'Oh, sorry.'

'That's okay. Hey, how come you never got a date to prom?'

'Well, in case you don't know, boys don't like girls who wear big, round, nerdy glasses and suits.'

'Well, if I was at any of your proms, I'd have asked you out.'

'No, you wouldn't.'

'Yeah, probably not,' he said, deciding to give up the act. Amy went back to reading her reports but Jake kept on thinking. 'But I would've asked you to dance with me at that weird wedding of Charles and Gina's parents,' he said as he broke the silence.

'Yeah, right,' Amy scoffed not believing it.

'No, I'm serious,' Jake said as he sat up straight.

Amy didn't know about this. She put the report down. 'Well, why didn't you then?' she asked.

Jake sighed. 'I don't know,' he said, 'I was scared you'd reject me.'

'Honestly, I kinda wanted you to ask me to dance with you too.'

'Well, that just sucks now.'

'Yeah,' Amy said slowly. 'But, hey, we can dance with each other whenever we want now,' she said. Jake smiled at that and the two kissed softly. 'So?' she asked after they parted, 'Will you dance with me?' She held out her hand.

'No, you're a terrible dancer,' Jake joked but Amy took it the wrong way and stormed off. 'Ames! Wait! I was joking! It was a joke!' Jake called out. He smacked himself on the head. 'What is wrong with you, Jake? Always jump at the chance to dance with your wife!' he told himself as he got up to followed Amy.


	43. Surprise!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jake plans a beautiful surprise for Amy, who is out of town.

'Thank you. I will now be taking comments and/or questions from you all. I'd like to request everyone to keep their comments and/or questions as short as possible so that there can be more participants,' Amy addressed the congregation.

'Yes, Captain Christopher Hudson of the Six-Eight here. I believe the unequal pay is one of the worst disgraces in the N.Y.P.D. and although most precincts have now practiced equal pay, it is still present in others. Could you please clarify more on your solutions to this problem?' one person asked.

'Certainly. Obviously, unequal pay is a very disturbing problem in the world and not just the N.Y.P.D. First of all, I would like to thank you, Captain Hudson, for introducing this topic today. First of all, we need more people like you, people who recognize this problem and are determined to make this wrong a right. Secondly, I believe we can host events where members of the N.Y.P.D. can participate in discussions to alleviate the discrimination. Thirdly, I have talked to Commissioner Holt about this as well and he too has asked for all N.Y.P.D. precincts to practice equal pay. Refusing to do so may lead to the suspension of an officer.'

'Thank you, Captain Santiago.'

'My pleasure. Any other questions?' Amy asked but the room was silent. 'Okay, thank you, I hope you enjoyed my presentation. I have been told that dinner will start in ten minutes. So, if you could just make your way to the dining hall, that would be best,' she informed.

As the hall emptied, Amy began to collect her things and leave the podium. 'That was a wonderful presentation. I was very impressed,' a man said as he approached her. Amy froze. She'd always recognize that voice. But it couldn't be. As she looked up to look at the man, she squealed in delight.

'Jake!' she exclaimed as she hugged him tightly.

'Surprise!' he said as he hugged her.

'What're you doing here? You're supposed to be home with the kids.'

'True, but you were supposed to call us this morning.'

'Yeah, sorry I had to work on the presentation. But, hey, if my punishment is you surprising me by coming to the conference, maybe I won't call you every time I'm out of town.'

'Well, I'm not your only surprise.'

Amy parted as her eyes went wide. 'The kids are here?' she asked as Jake smiled and nodded. 'Oh, my God! Where are they?' she asked excitedly.

'They're up, in the room.'

'Oh, my God! Let's go! Let's go! Let's go!' she said ecstatically as she grabbed her husband's hand and pulled him along.

'So, how long had you planned this for?' she asked Jake as they walked to the room.

'About two months. Good thing this year your convention was during the winter holidays,' he answered.

'Did the kids know about your plan?'

'Mac and Harry – yes. Liz – no. She adores you. I was afraid she wouldn't be able to keep it to herself.' Jake opened the door to their room. It was a massive triple room and their kids were on the bed watching T.V. 'Hey, look who I found,' Jake said as they entered.

'Mommy!' the three of them exclaimed as they ran to hug Amy.

'Oh, my babies!' Amy exclaimed as she hugged and kissed all three of them. 'I missed you all so, so much,' she said.

'We missed you too,' Harry said.

'Well, you guys continue watching T.V., okay? Daddy and I need to go get my stuff from the other room. Then we can go have dinner, alright?'

'Okay!' the three exclaimed as they plopped back onto the bed.

After clearing out her old room and returning her key, Jake and Amy entered the elevator. 'Thank you so much for bringing the kids,' she said as she rested her head on his shoulder.

'Of course, they missed you just as much as you did,' he replied.

'And you really liked my presentation?'

'Loved it. Although you missed one important point.'

'What's that?'

'These conferences are supposed to be a year apart, not half a year apart. I mean, you came to one of these things six months ago. You should've mentioned that.'

'Jake, these are annual conferences. The one I came for six months ago was last year's conference. The one we're having is this year's.'

'Wait, so there can be a conference in December of one year, and then in the following month of January for another year?'

'Technically, yes. But it's highly unlikely since it'll just have happened a month ago.'

After moving into the new room, they got their three kids ready for dinner. They went to an Italian restaurant outside the hotel. Amy didn't want to meet other captains for the day, she just wanted to spend time with her family. After placing their orders, they began to catch up.

'So, what did you guys do for the past two days?' Amy asked.

'Uncle Charlie took us to the zoo,' Mac said.

'Yeah, and we had taco night yesterday,' Liz said.

'Wow, that sounds like a lot of fun, huh?' Amy asked.

'Yeah!' all three kids said at once.

'So listen,' Amy said while turning to Jake, 'I'm pretty much booked for tomorrow morning. Will you be fine with the kids for about four hours?'

'Yeah, sure. I saw a park around the corner. We could go there,' replied Jake.

'Thanks, I'll make sure to plan something for all of us tomorrow afternoon.'

'Okay, then I'll plan something for us the day after.'

'What?'

'I said that I'd plan something for the five of us for the day after tomorrow.'

'Yeah, no, I heard that. But, Jake, my ticket's for the flight on the ninth, the day after tomorrow.'

'Oh, one last thing I forgot to tell you: I changed switched your ticket for the flight on the tenth.'

Amy smiled widely. She couldn't believe how amazing her husband was. 'I love you so much,' she said as she gave him a peck.

'I love you so much too.'

After dinner, and obviously dessert, the five of them returned to their hotel room. The parents got their children ready for bed and tucked them in, Liz in one bed and the boys in another. After that, they got into their own bed. 'Thank you for today,' Amy said as she ran her hand through his hair, 'I loved the surprise.'

'Oh, thank God!' he muttered softly.

'What?' Amy asked, surprised.

'I mean, I'm glad you did!' Jake said trying to cover up. He said that a bit too loudly as Mac started stirring in his sleep.

'Okay, maybe we should keep it down a bit. But what did you mean by "Oh, my God"?'

Jake sighed. 'Okay,' he began, 'a couple months ago, I was cleaning our room and I found the box to your engagement ring and I remembered that night when I proposed to you.'

Amy smiled. That was, without doubt, one of her favorite days. 'Yeah, that was an amazing night,' she said.

'Yeah, it was. But then I remembered something you said to me. You told me that I had lost the ability to surprise you. I got worried that we'd be some old boring couple in the future. And so I wanted to surprise you. That's when I planned for this day.'

Amy saw that he was worried. So she comforted him. 'Jake,' she said slowly, 'you forgot one thing – you surprised me that very night with the proposal. But you could never cease to surprise me. Every day with you is a surprise. When we first started dating, I was always wondering what you were up to. You used to be up to the most random things – like when you got that tarantula, or when you bought a hover board. You surprised me at work at how fast you could solve cases. Plus, I'm not the only one you surprise. You surprise the kids every day, whether it's cooking something they like or finding new ways to make them laugh. And, yes, sometimes the surprises my scare me. Like the time you accidentally poked Mac in the eye. But at least life with you isn't boring and, as long as I'm with you and the kids, it never will be.'

'I love you,' he said with a smile.

'I love you too,' she replied with a smile as well. 'Plus, you surprised me again when you told me that you were reorganizing our room. Usually that's my area of expertise,' she said.

'Yeah, well, I thought it would be nice of me to help you around. You were having some tough cases at your precinct.'

'Yeah, sorry I didn't notice it. It probably looked the same way I'd have done it.'

'Yeah, that's 'cause I followed your binder.'

Amy gasped. Jake following a binder always turned her on. 'Oh, you've surprised me again, and it's really, really good,' she whispered into his ears.

'Yeah, well, hold those thoughts. We have three kids here.'

'Damn it! Why'd you have to make this surprise so, so perfect?' she half joked as Jake kissed the top of her head.

When they returned to their home in Brooklyn, Amy made sure she planned a surprise for Jake, thanking him for his wonderful surprise. And, boy, did he enjoy the surprise!


	44. Happy Birthday

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jake plans to make Amy's birthday as perfect as possible.

The squad was at Shaw's Bar, celebrating the Captain Holt's return to the Nine-Nine. They were seated around one table.

'Thanks for bringing Holt back to the Nine-Nine. I'm proud of you,' Amy said as she gave Jake a peck. 'Right, I'm gonna go get a refill. You want anything?' she asked as she got up.

'No, I'm good,' Jake replied and Amy walked away. When he turned around he found all his friends staring at him. 'What?' he asked them.

'I gotta write this down for my speech as best man at your wedding!' Charles exclaimed, 'The first time she said she was proud of you!'

'Okay, first of all, no. Second of all, the first time she said she was proud of me was last week, when I took out the trash.'

'Forget that, what're you getting her next week?' Gina asked.

'What's next week?'

'It's her birthday!' Charles squealed.

'So this is the beginning of the end of Jake and Amy,' Gina said dramatically.

'What? No! I'll obviously get her a gift,' Jake said.

'But this is big, Jake. It's her first birthday since you two started going out,' Charles pointed out.

'Charles, it's not a big deal.'

'Actually, I agree with Boyle,' Terry said.

'Okay, fine what do you guys think I should get her?'

'Edible underwear!' Charles said immediately, making everyone cringe.

'Gross, no!'

'I'd get her something that associates with her the most – a drab pantsuit,' Gina said.

'Not gonna happen.'

'Look, you know her well enough. Just get something that shows how much you care and love Amy,' Terry suggested.

'That's actually not that bad. But we've only been going out for a month. We haven't really told each other that we love one another.'

'I get that you've been dating Amy for a month. But you've known her for quite some time now. You love her, Jake.'

'Thanks, Sarge, but I'm not sure,' Jake said skeptically. The table was silent for some time. 'Wait, I know the perfect gift for Amy!' Jake said, breaking the silence.

Rosa groaned. 'Are we still talking about what you're gonna give Amy for her birthday?' she asked, clearly not wanting to discuss the matter any further.

'Yes, I am going to throw her a party! That way the party is her present!'

'I must say, that is very smart of you, Peralta,' Holt remarked. 'You know, talking about the first birthday with your significant other, I cannot help but remember my first birthday with Kevin…' Holt trailed off.

'Well, aren't you gonna talk about the party and the gift you got?' Jake asked after a few seconds of silence.

'Oh, there was no party or gift giving ceremony. I have always found those events wildly childish.'

'Okay, back to my plan for Amy's birthday. Sarge, what do you think about it?'

'I think Amy will like it,' Terry stated.

'You think I'll like what?' Amy asked as she returned to the table and sat next to Jake.

'Oh, I was planning to throw you a party for your birthday,' Jake said.

'Aw, that's so sweet of you,' Amy said as she cupped his face. Just then, she got a call. 'Oh, it's my mom,' she said as she got up to answer it.

When Jake turned to look at his friends, they were staring at him with wide eyes. 'What now?' Jake asked.

'You ruined the present!' Charles exclaimed.

'What? No, I didn't.'

'Yeah, you did, big time,' Gina said.

'How?'

'Jake, a gift is supposed to be a surprise. If you threw a surprise party, that could qualify as a gift. Now, you need to throw a party AND get a gift,' Terry explained and Jake banged his head against the table.

** One Week Later: **

'Wow, I'm really enjoying this party. Thank you so much, I hope it wasn't any trouble,' Amy told Jake.

'Yeah, not a problem,' Jake said as Amy went to get some snacks. Terry, Gina, and Charles walked over to Jake.

'So, you nailed the party but what about the gift? Or is this the end of the most boring relationship there ever was?' Gina asked.

'Don't listen to her Jake, your relationship with Amy's not boring, it's exhilarating,' Charles spoke before Jake could answer.

'Okay, thank you?' Jake asked, not really knowing how to respond to that.

'But please tell me you got her a present,' Charles pleaded.

Jake sighed at his friend's antics. 'Yes, Charles, I got her a present,' Jake said. Gina rolled her eyes while Charles punched the air in delight as they walked away. Once they were out of hearing distance, Jake turned to Terry. 'Terry, I haven't gotten Amy a present yet!' Jake confessed.

'What the hell? You just said you did!' Terry said, surprised.

'That was just to get those two off my back.'

'Did you at least try to get her a present?'

'Of course I did! But I wasn't sure what she'd like.'

'Look, Jake, there's still five hours until Amy's birthday is over. You can still go and get her something.'

'But I don't know what to get her.'

'Hey, in case you haven't noticed, her best friend's at this party. Maybe she can help you.'

Jake nodded as he walked over to Rosa. 'Hey, Rosa? Can I talk to you for a minute?' Jake asked as he pulled her to a corner of the room.

'Let me guess, you wanna know if this party's good or not. Well, it stinks,' Rosa said.

'No, I was not gonna ask that but good to know your opinion. Anyway, look, I still haven't gotten a gift for Amy and I need your help.'

'Dude, you know I don't interfere in other people's relationships, even if it's helping them.'

'Oh, Rosa, please? I really need your help,' Jake begged.

Maybe she could break the rule and help him. This was the relationship of her two best friends after all. 'Fine,' she said after much deliberation, 'but you owe me a thousand pushups.'

'Okay, fine,' Jake said.

'But how are we gonna leave? It's gonna be way too suspicious.'

'Don't worry, I have an idea. I'll leave quietly when you all do and that way Amy won't see me in the crowd.'

'Ugh, that plan stinks worse than this party.'

** Half an Hour Later: **

'Thank you all so much for coming,' Amy said as the squad slowly started to leave for their own homes. But then she noticed Jake trying to leave as well. 'Jake, where are you going? Aren't you gonna help me clean up?' she asked.

'Uh… yes, I am but I just need to do this one little thing,' he said.

'What thing?'

'Um….' He tried thinking as he looked at Rosa, who gave him a questioning look. 'Rosa's drunk. I need to drive her home,' he finally said.

'Rosa's drunk?'

'Yup! Super drunk!' Rosa said as she acted to not have a sense of balance.

'Okay, take care. You'll come back, right?' she asked Jake.

He could see how much she wanted him to be with her. He cursed himself for not having bought a gist for this amazing person. 'Of course,' he said as he kissed the top of her head.

Once they got out, Rosa kicked him in the shin. 'Ouch! Was that because I said that you were drunk?' Jake asked.

'Yes, and also because you left your girlfriend to clean up her own birthday party,' Rosa replied.

'She's not my girlfriend, we haven't discussed if we are boyfriend-girlfriend.'

'Yeah, right,' Rosa scoffed as she rolled her eyes.

** One Hour Later: **

'Ames?' Jake called as he entered Amy's apartment with a bag in his hand. She had cleaned up everything.

'Jake, you're okay,' she said as she came into sight and hugged him.

'Of course I'm okay. Why were you worried?'

'Sorry, it's just, you didn't pick up your phone or reply to any of my texts. I was worried something happened to you. I was about to go searching for you.'

As they parted, Jake looked at his phone and saw seven missed calls and three text messages from Amy. His phone was on silent for some reason. 'Sorry, about that,' he said after realizing all that.

'It's okay. I'm just glad you're alright. How's Rosa?'

'Oh, uh, I got her down. Yeah, she's much scarier when she's drunk so it took some time,' Jake lied.

'Oh, that's good. What's that?' she asked, pointing to the bag in his hand.

'This is your birthday present. I left it in the car the whole day apparently. Here,' he said while giving her the bag.

As she took out her gift, she was genuinely moved. 'Oh, my God! How'd you know I wanted this binder?' she asked, ecstatic.

'I just did,' he replied. He couldn't believe this was all it took to make her happy. He smiled at how adorable she looked with her present.

'Thank you so much. You're the best boyfriend.'

'Uh… "boyfriend"?' he asked. He wasn't quite sure he heard that right.

'Yeah,' she replied with a smile, 'and you're the best.'

This didn't seem right. He knew he had to tell her the truth. 'Okay, Ames, I need to tell you the truth,' he said as he sat them down on the couch, 'I wasn't at Rosa's getting her down. We were at the binder store to get you this binder.'

'What?' Amy asked, not fully understanding.

Jake sighed. 'Okay,' he began, 'initially, the plan was for this party to be my gift to you. But I ruined that by literally telling you about your present. Then I tried buying something for you but I wasn't sure you'd like it. So, Terry suggested I ask for Rosa's help to buy you a present. Then Rosa, being your best friend – '

Jake was interrupted by Amy, who pressed her lips against his. After they parted, Jake was left amazed. 'Wow, what was that for?' he asked.

'For stopping you from blabbing so much. But also for being a really good boyfriend,' Amy replied.

'But I don't get it. I mean, at first I didn't care about your birthday. Then I ruined the surprise. Then I came to your party without a present. Then I left you to clean up your own apartment alone and also leave you worried about me by not answering your calls or your texts.'

'Jake, I'm not saying you're the best boyfriend on the basis of this day. We've been dating for a month and you've been nothing short of brilliant. I mean, you make me laugh, you make me happy, you care about me. Plus, if we are gonna talk about today, the party was amazing and you got me the best gift. Trust me, you are the best boyfriend I have ever had.'

'Wow, thanks.'

'And I hope you see me as your girlfriend.'

'Of course I do,' Jake said as they shared a long kiss.

'So, wanna celebrate being boyfriend and girlfriend?' Amy asked suggestively.

'Oh, yeah!' Jake said as they went to her bedroom.

After an amazing session of sex, Amy rested her head on Jake's chest as he stroked her hair. He kept thinking about how the past week had stressed him for getting Amy the perfect gift. He kept thinking of that conversation he had with Terry at Shaw's. Terry was right, he did love Amy. Yes, they had been dating for only a month but he knew her well enough to love her. But was he in a position to tell her that? His last relationship had ended because he said the words too soon. He didn't want that to happen with Amy.

'Ames?' he called.

'Yeah?' she answered, not looking up.

'I, uh,' he stammered. He still didn't know if he should tell her or not. 'I hope you enjoyed your birthday,' he said and he could feel her smile against his skin.

'I did, and it was thanks to you,' she said as she gave him a peck before returning to her original position.

Jake had decided he wouldn't tell her the words just then. They had just crossed one checkpoint earlier that day when they officially became girlfriend and boyfriend. Maybe it would take some time before they said those words to each other. And when it did, it became a moment Jake and Amy would never forget.


	45. Father's Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jake has a Father's Day to remember.

As Jake turned in bed, he tossed his arm over at Amy's side. But he found it to be empty. This was the problem. When either of them tried to sleep alone, they didn't have the other person next to them and they just couldn't sleep. Maybe they could sleep for an hour at most, but definitely not longer. Jake opened his eyes and turned to look at the clock on Amy's nightstand: 7:52, Sunday. Jake figured out either Mac had woken up earlier than usual, or Amy was having a case of morning sickness.

Jake got up to check their joint bathroom but Amy wasn't there. He then went to Mac's room but both of them weren't there. He then made his way down to the kitchen, maybe Mac was hungry. As he entered the kitchen, he could hear his wife and his son.

'Okay, pass me the syrup,' Amy said.

'Mommy, it's in my hands now,' Mac informed.

'Mac, I asked you not to open the bottle.'

'Don't worry, I'll help him clean up,' Jake said from behind.

'Daddy!' Mac exclaimed as he held his hands out for his father to carry him.

'No, Mac, I am not gonna carry you until you're clean,' Jake said as he tore some part of the paper towel.

'Jake, what are you doing here?' Amy asked.

'Well, good morning to you too.'

'No, I mean, yes, good morning, but you're not supposed to be here.'

'Why?'

'It's your surprise for Father's Day!' Mac said as Amy sighed.

'Really?' Jake asked, delighted.

'Mac, this was our secret,' Amy told their son.

'Oh, sorry, Mommy,' the boy said, looking guilty.

'It's okay, I could never be angry at you for too long,' Amy said as she carried their son. She then kissed him on the cheek. 'Wow, how much syrup did you get over you? Your cheeks are literally sweet today,' she remarked.

'So, this is my surprise breakfast?' Jake asked as he sat down at the kitchen island.

'Yup, chocolate chip pancakes. And don't worry, I followed a tutorial video on YouTube so it should be fine.'

'Wow,' Jake said after he took a bite, 'this is really good.'

'Really?'

'Yeah. I hope you made some for Mac and yourself.'

'Oh, I'm so happy you like it!'

'Happy Father's Day!' Mac exclaimed.

'Thanks, buddy,' Jake said with a smile. 'Seriously, you two should have some though. Otherwise, I'm gonna eat all of it,' Jake said.

After breakfast, Jake and Amy were cleaning up. 'Thanks for breakfast. I could get used to this,' Jake told his wife.

'I'm glad you liked it but do not expect me to make breakfast for you every morning,' Amy said.

'But it was so good.'

'I know but cooking is just not my favorite thing.'

'Fine.' He knew getting her to agree to cooking everyday was a longhop. 'What time did you get up?' he asked.

'Oh, around 7:30. How long until you woke up?'

'About twenty minutes.'

'Yeah? Sorry I had to wake up earlier than you. I know how hard it is for both of us to sleep without the other next to us.'

'Hey, you were making me breakfast with Mac. I couldn't ask for more,' he said as they kissed softly. 'I hope you and the baby are fine today?' he asked as he rubbed her baby bump.

'Yeah, we've been alright today.'

'Hmm… just around seven more months and we'll have a little person in the nursery again.'

'Yeah, I can't wait. Hey, could you give Mac a bath? He really got a lot of syrup over him, he's so sticky.'

'Oh, yeah, sure.'

'Thanks, and then you can open your presents.'

Jake gasped. 'There are presents?' he asked as Amy nodded. 'Mac, I need to give you a bath in order to open my presents!' he shouted as he went to get his son.

After getting Mac clean, the three of them gathered in the living room. 'Okay, Mac, you wanna give Daddy his present?' Amy asked. Mac nervously gave his dad a sketchpad.

'So, what is it?' Jake asked.

'I made drawings of you in each page,' Mac explained.

As Jake turned the pages, he saw some drawings of the three of them, some of just Amy and him, and some of Mac and him. He also noticed that some of the drawings that showed a two-month pregnant Amy. Jake was really touched. 'Mac, this is amazing!' Jake said.

'Really?'

'Yeah, I love it,' he said as he hugged his son.

'Okay, here's my gift to you,' Amy said as she gave him a box.

As Jake opened the box, he saw a pair of brand new sneakers. Amy never understood why her husband adored these things but she loved to see him happy. He deserved it as well. 'Wow, Ames. I can't believe you got me sneakers,' he said.

'Yeah, well, it's Father's Day and you've been such a great dad. You deserve it.'

'Daddy, which one did you like more?' Mac asked.

'Yours,' Jake replied. Of course he loved them both but their two-year old was not going to take that as an answer.

'Yay! Can I explain all the drawings to you?'

'Sure.'

'Oh, hey, when you were giving Mac a bath, a letter came for you,' Amy said.

'A letter?'

'Yeah, wait let me go get it,' Amy said as she got up.

Jake listened to his son's explanations until Amy returned with the letter. Amy then handed him the letter. He then opened it and began to read it, 'From the Ninety-Ninth Precinct of the New York Police Department?' He looked at Amy but she gave him a questioning look. 'Mac, can you go play in your room for some time?' Jake asked their son. They didn't want to read anything serious from work. 'Detective Jake Peralta,' Jake continued to read, 'the commanding officers of the Ninety-Ninth Precinct of the New York Police Department have decided that you are to take a mission within the boundaries of Brooklyn. This mission requires you to protect a family. This is a family including a husband, a wife, and a son. This family lives on 9B Brior Hill Avenue.' Jake looked up at Amy. 'That's our address,' he pointed out.

'Continue reading,' Amy said with a smile, making Jake get the feeling that she had a hand in the letter.

'The wife is two months pregnant and the result of tests for the gender of their baby have returned. If you look inside the envelope in which this letter came in, you will find the result of the tests. Your first objective is to read out the result to the father. Sergeant Amy Santiago will tell you the remaining objectives. Sincerely, Captain Raymond Holt.' Jake looked up at his wife. She was still smiling. 'Ames, is this the result of our baby's gender?' he asked.

'Yeah, this is your other gift for Father's Day.'

'And you asked Holt to send this in as a letter for an undercover mission?'

'Yeah, read the result.'

'And you know our baby's gender?'

'Yes, now read it!'

Jake took out the result and read it. He was overjoyed at the result. 'Ames,' he said while looking at her, 'we're having another boy?'

'Yeah. Are you happy?'

'Of course I am!' he exclaimed while pulling her into a hug. 'I know I shouldn't but this is definitely the best Father's Day present ever,' he told her.

'So,' Amy said as they broke apart, 'are you ready for the next objective?'

'Yes, I am.'

'Your next objective is to explain to the two-year old son that they're getting a baby boy.'

'Let's go!' Jake said as he helped his wife up and they went to tell their son that he was going to have a baby brother.


	46. Birthday Wish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Liz's birthday and her wish, apparently, comes true.

'Hey, this party's going well, huh?' Jake asked Amy.

'Yeah, it is,' she replied.

'We throw such cool birthday parties for our kids!'

'"We"?' Amy asked him with a questioning look.

'Sorry, you do,' he said defeated.

Amy laughed softly. 'Babe, I was kidding. You did help. Although I did most of the work,' she said.

'Yeah, you're an amazing mom.'

'Thanks, you're not too bad a dad yourself,' she said before giving him a soft kiss. Amy then got a call. 'Oh, it's my parents. I think they want to wish Liz a happy birthday,' she said as she went to the birthday girl.

'Damn, you guys really pulled out all the stops for Liz's birthday,' Rosa said as she approached Jake.

'Really?' he asked even though he knew they had nailed it.

'Yeah, the games are fun, the decorations are spot on, and the food is so good.'

'Thanks, we just wanted Liz's first birthday to be perfect.'

'Dude, you said that about all your children's first birthdays. But you've put in so much more effort than you did for Mac and Harry's first birthdays.'

'Okay, first of all, do not tell the boys about that. Second of all, this is Liz's second birthday but her first with us. The boys were a year old for their first birthdays, they don't know remember it. Those birthdays were important for Amy than it was for them. But this one, Liz could remember it for some time.'

'Dude, she's two! She's not gonna remember any of this. She couldn't even remember which one was Cagney and which one was Lacey.'

'Hey! They're twins, it's difficult for some of us!' Jake defended as Rosa rolled her eyes.

'Anyway, dope party,' Rosa said as she went to get some snacks.

'Okay, everyone gather around the table. Liz is going to get her first birthday surprise,' Amy announced. After everyone followed her orders, Amy brought the birthday cake and placed it on the table. 'Okay, Liz, this is your first birthday surprise. It's from Daddy, Mac, Harry and me,' she told her daughter.

'Yay!' the two-year old exclaimed.

'Woah! That is a massive cake!' Rosa said as she saw the size of the cake.

'Yeah, well, we have many guests to feed,' Amy half-joked as she put two candles on the cake.

'So, you made this cake?' Gina asked.

'Yup.'

'Are you sure it's safe to eat?' she asked, fully aware of Amy's atrocious cooking.

Amy rolled her eyes. 'Yes, Jake helped me,' she answered as she lit the two candles. 'Okay, sweetie, make a wish and blow out the candles,' she instructed her daughter. After Liz blew out the candles and everyone clapped, they served it to everyone.

'Liz, do you wanna open your presents?' Jake asked her.

'Yes!' Liz replied as everyone surrounded her. Before she opened her first present, Amy decided to join her daughter on the floor and help her open the presents. Liz smiled as she sat on her mother's lap.

'You open the presents and I'll read the cards, okay?' Amy suggested and Liz nodded. 'Okay, let's start,' Amy said as she gave her daughter one of the presents. She then began to read the card attached to it, 'Dear Liz, happy birthday! You're just two but you're so smart already, just like your Mommy. And, to be even smarter, here's a fun book! I hope you enjoy! Love, Auntie Ro-Ro.' Amy looked at Liz who was looking at a 'Press Here' book.

'To our wonderful granddaughter Liz, happy birthday! You are such a sweet little girl and we have enjoyed the beautiful pictures you draw for us. Here's a whole box of arts and crafts materials to work with. We'll always love you. From Grandpa Roger and Grandma Karen.

'Hey, Lizzie! I can't believe you're so cool, considering Jake and Amy are your parents. Whenever you come over, I want you to wear this jacket. Happy birthday, girl! From your cool Auntie G and Iggy.' Liz had some trouble opening the package so Amy helped her. She then held out a jacket, with the words: Cutie and Smarty in One Package.

'To Elizabeth 'Liz' Peralta, we wish you a happy second birthday. Each birthday, you grow older and smarter. Here is a book to enhance your knowledge. From Commissioner Raymond Holt and Dr. Kevin Cozner.' Liz was looking at a book in her hands. It was The Adventures of Tom Sawyer.

'Uh… wow. Will be another ten years before she looks at that,' Jake said.

'It's an abridged version. We can read it together, can't we Liz?' Amy asked but the girl was already moving onto another present. She then began to read the next note, 'To the best sister ever. We love you, Liz! From Mac and Harry.' Amy looked at what her sons had got their sister. It was apparently a zip-lock bag in which they had put their favorite chocolates. It was a really sweet gesture (pun intended) and Liz was already eating a bar of Snickers.

'Happy birthday, Liz, you adorable little girl! We know how much you love to sing whenever you're over at our place. So, here's a karaoke set for you to enjoy with your family. With love, Terry, Sharon, Cagney, Lacey, and Ava.' After Liz tore through the wrapping paper, she was in awe as she saw the box of the karaoke set. She was not going to open the entire box right now. 'Jake, you think you can put the set away for now?' Amy asked and Jake did as he was asked of.

'Okay the final gift,' Amy said as she opened the final card and Liz proceeded to open the final package. 'Dear Liz,' Amy began reading, 'happy birthday! We hope you love this gift. With love, Uncle Charlie, Auntie Genie, and Nik-Nik.' Amy looked to find her daughter carrying a Play-Doh Burger Barbecue Toy. 'Okay, Liz,' she said as she carried her, 'is there something you wanna tell everyone?'

'Thank you!' she squealed as everyone smiled.

After the party was over and everything was cleaned up, Jake went to tuck the boys in bed while Amy went to tuck their daughter. 'So, did you enjoy your birthday, sweetie?' she asked.

'Yeah. Mommy, can I ask you a question?' the girl asked.

'Sure, what is it?'

'Do all your birthday wishes come true?'

'Well, not all. Some do, some don't. So, if your wish didn't come true, don't be upset, okay?'

'But it came true.'

'Really? Well what did you wish for?'

'I wished that you would help me open the presents.'

Amy teared up a bit. 'Really? Why?' she asked Liz.

'I didn't want you to leave me.'

Amy smiled softly. Of course by, 'leaving', Liz meant leaving her alone when opening the presents. But Amy assured her, 'Oh, Liz, I'll never leave you, okay? Not on your birthday, not ever.'

'Okay,' Liz said simply. She was too young to fully understand the depth of her mother's words.

'I love you,' she said softly as she kissed the top of Liz's head but Liz was already asleep. She fell asleep really quickly. Amy smiled softly as she left her daughter's room. Maybe wishes did come true after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Right, so this was based on a really cute suggestion. I hope you all liked it! If you do have ideas or suggestions for future stories, please tell me and I'll do my best. Thank you!


	47. Why Marry?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When his parents are getting remarried, Jake doesn't see the purpose of marriage.

'Jake, babe, wake up,' Amy insisted but he groaned. This was normal so Amy went to her hundred percent successful plan – peppering his face with kisses. Once again, it worked.

'Morning,' he said groggily.

'Morning to you too,' she replied.

'It's just seven. Why'd you wake me up so early on a Saturday?'

'Because you're parents' wedding is in four hours.'

Jake groaned. He did not want this day to come ever since his parents had made the announcement. He did want his parents to be happy, especially his mom. He had made several attempts to fix his relationship with his dad. But his parents marrying after just a year did not seem right to Jake, even if they had known each other for more than that. 'I don't feel good,' he said as he turned.

Amy sighed. She knew this wasn't easy for her boyfriend. But she wanted him to come around to the fact that his parents were getting married, especially on the big day itself. 'Jake, please don't whine,' Amy pleaded but he just groaned again. 'At least be happy for your mom. She wants this,' Amy reasoned.

'I get that but I think she's making a mistake.'

'Okay, fine,' Amy said as she got under the covers.

'Wait, what?' Jake asked while sitting up. He thought Amy was going to try and persuade him to attend the wedding.

'Well, if you don't wanna go, let's not go.'

'I thought you wanted to.'

'Hey, if the son can't be happy for his mom, what's his girlfriend supposed to do?'

'Hey, I care about my mom! In fact, I care about her so much that I'm going to the wedding today,' Jake said as he got up to take a shower. Amy smiled. Reverse psychology was the best, wasn't it?

In the car, Jake was looking outside, thinking of how awkward this day was going to be. 'Weddings suck anyway,' he blurted out.

'What do you mean?' Amy asked.

'Some sappy vows, lots of tears, they all just suck. The one good part of a wedding is the cake.'

Amy was surprised. They hadn't talked about getting married but they had been dating for nearly two years now. She had at least hoped that he would want to get married. 'It's a sweet ceremony. There's so much excitement and happiness, it's all about love, and it's a chapter in people's lives,' Amy said.

'Yeah, but you can do all that without being married. I mean, look at us, we love each other and we're living together. How is that any different?' Jake asked as he looked back outside.

Amy sighed. She had always wanted to get married and, over the past one and a half years, she was convinced she wanted to marry Jake. But she wasn't sure if he wanted to marry her.

After the ceremony, Jake was catching up with some of his old friends while Amy was at the bar. She was bothered by what Jake had said in the car. 'Hey, there,' Karen said as she approached her.

'Oh, hey. Congratulations, again!' Amy said.

'Thank you. And thank you for getting Jake here. It must have been really difficult.'

'Oh, not really.'

'So, why are you at the bar? Shouldn't you be slow dancing with Jake?'

'I'm not really sure,' Amy said softly but Karen heard it.

'What? Is something wrong?' Karen asked as she took a seat.

Amy sighed. She really needed to talk about this with someone and Karen was the only one there. 'Okay,' she began, 'when we were on the way here, Jake said he didn't understand weddings. He said that just living with the person you love was enough. I know we've only been dating for about eighteen months but, call me crazy, I actually thought Jake and I would get married someday.'

'Okay, I think I should tell you something. I might have been the one who gave Jake that thought.'

'What?'

Karen sighed before speaking, 'When Roger and I got divorced, Jake had a lot of questions. I told him to just find someone he loves and spend the rest of his life with that somebody. I actually told him to not get married in order to eliminate the possibility of a divorce.'

'Oh, my God…'

'I know, I'm so sorry. I wasn't the best mom.'

Amy was furious at Karen right now. But she then realized that at the time she gave all these thoughts to Jake, she had just gone through a divorce and she was probably acting on her instincts. 'It's alright,' Amy said.

'No, it's not. Look, you are the best girlfriend Jake is ever going to get. If he's not gonna marry you, he's never getting married. You've been such a great girlfriend to him, he should realize that and make sure to ask you to marry him one day.'

'Thanks, Karen. That's really sweet.'

'Yeah, but it's not enough. I'll make sure to talk to him.'

'Oh, you don't need to do that.'

'No, I do. I misled him when I taught him the wrong things all those years ago; I can't let him mislead someone else's.'

'Wow, thank you so much,' Amy said as she hugged her.

'Plus, I really want you to be my daughter-in-law,' Karen confessed.

'Hey, there you are,' Jake said as he walked up to the bar.

'Hey,' Amy said as she and Karen parted.

'Listen, they're playing Wonderful Tonight and I know you love that song. Do you wanna dance?' he asked as he held out his hand.

'Love to,' replied Amy as she took his hand.

** Three Days Later: **

'Jake, what I told you all those years ago was B.S., okay?' Karen told her son.

'Mom, do you just want me to get married because Dad and you got married again?' Jake asked.

'I want you to get married when you're ready.'

'So, why are we having this discussion?'

'Because, fifteen years later, I don't want you to look back and regret not marrying Amy Santiago.'

'What?'

'Jake, I know what I told you immediately after your dad and I got divorced messed up your views on marriage. But look how happy your dad and I are.'

'Mom, you've only been married for three days.'

'Okay, I get that. But trust me, you will want to get married one day.'

'Look, marriage is just spending your life with the person you love. How is that any different than what Amy and I are doing?'

'Jake, it's so much more different. For one thing, it's the beginning of having a family. I mean, you'll become a husband to a wife. Plus, don't you want to be a father one day?'

'I don't know. Maybe.'

'And if you do want to have a family, wouldn't you want Amy as your wife and the mother of your child?'

'I guess.'

'Look, Jake, you need to make a decision. Do you want a family or not? Because if you don't, maybe you shouldn't be wasting your time and, more importantly, Amy's.'

As Karen left the apartment, Amy was just about to enter. 'Karen, hi!' Amy greeted.

'Hi, Amy!' Karen greeted back.

'So, what brought you by?' Amy asked.

Karen fully closed the door behind them and softly spoke to Amy, 'I hope I've made amends for my bad parenting all those years ago.'

Amy hugged her immediately having understood what she meant. 'Thank you but you're not a bad parent,' she reassured Karen. After sharing goodbyes, Amy entered her apartment. She found Jake in the kitchen. 'Hey,' she said as she walked over to kiss him.

'Hey,' he replied back.

'So, what are you doing?' she asked while looking around.

'Oh, I thought I'd make dinner if that's alright with you.'

'Oh, sure. What's the occasion though?' she asked as she opened the fridge to get a bottle of water.

'Nothing really.'

'Come on. There must be some reason.'

'No, I'm serious. I just want to,' Jake said but Amy gave him a look that told him she wasn't buying it. 'Look,' Jake said, 'you're amazing, and I love you, and I just wanna appreciate you being a part of my life.'

Amy walked over to him and hugged him. 'That's really sweet of you,' Amy said.

'And I also wanna appreciate for when we become a family.' Amy looked up at him with pure adoration in his eyes and kissed him. 'Why don't you relax and I'll call you when dinner's ready?' Jake suggested and Amy nodded.

As Amy opened a book, she realized how great a mother Karen Peralta was. She may not have been married to Jake then, but Karen was already like a mother to her.


	48. A Freak Injury

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jake tries to hide an injury he got when looking after the kids.

'Okay, I'm leaving now. I'll be back in an hour,' Amy said as she gave Jake a peck on the lips.

'Mommy, it's raining,' Harry said. He was fully aware of how much his mother hated walking in the rain.

'I know, but I'm driving, sweetie. I'll be working inside the precinct. Plus, I have an umbrella,' she reasoned.

'So, can we play outside if we use umbrellas?' Mac asked.

'No, the backyard's all wet and muddy. You guys will get sick. Look, you guys can do so much inside with Daddy. And once it stops raining, the sun is out, and the ground is dry, you can play, okay?'

'Okay,' the boys said slowly as Amy kissed their cheeks and left.

As soon as Amy left, Liz woke up from her nap. 'Mommy?' she asked as she entered the room.

'Hey, you're up,' Jake said as he went to carry her to the couch. As soon as he carried her, the three-year old wrapped her hands around her father's neck.

'Where's Mommy?' she asked.

'She's gone to work,' Jake answered.

'Oh,' she said slowly. She seemed a bit sad.

'Don't worry, she'll be back for lunch,' Jake said and Liz smiled softly at that. 'So, what do you wanna do till then?' he asked.

'Play outside!'

'See Daddy? Even Liz wants to play ouside!' Mac said.

Jake sighed. 'Sorry, Liz,' he said, 'but you can't play outside.'

'Why?' she asked.

'It's raining. If you play now, you'll get all wet, and dirty, and you could get sick too.'

'Then what can we do?'

'Um… ooh! We could do karaoke! You guys love that!'

'Yeah!'

'Okay, I'll go get the set, alright?'

After getting the karaoke set, Jake extended the cord to the plug and went to insert it in one of the sockets. This socket was still baby proofed from two years back, when Liz was just starting to crawl around. They had removed all the baby proofs nearly a year ago but they somehow forgot this one socket. Jake didn't realize this and he forced the plug into his socket, something he shouldn't have done. He jammed his hand in it somehow and it hurt like hell. He bit his tongue to prevent screaming as he took the plug out with his free hand. His other hand was blue and it hurt whenever he touched something.

'Daddy, are you ready?' Mac asked.

'Oh, uh…' Jake tried putting the pug in with his other hand. Somehow it went in easily this time and Jake could not understand how. 'Yes, done,' Jake said as he got up to take care of his injury.

'Aren't you gonna sing?' Harry asked.

'Oh, I'll be there in a minute. You three go ahead,' Jake said as he hid his injured hand from his kids and slowly went to the joint bathroom in Amy and his bedroom to search for the first aid kit.

** One Hour Later: **

'Hey, I'm back,' Amy said as she entered the living room.

'Mommy!' all three kids exclaimed as they ran to hug her.

'Wow, looks like you all had fun with karaoke, huh?' she asked as she heard the music playing.

'We did,' Harry said.

'Will you join us?' Liz asked.

'Um… maybe later, baby. I think Daddy and I need to make lunch for us first. You guys can watch T.V. till then, okay?' Amy suggested.

As the kids proceeded to watch T.V., Jake and Amy entered the kitchen. 'So, why'd Terry want you to come in today?' Jake asked.

'Oh, just some plans for the next year if I become captain,' she answered.

'But if you become captain, you'll be captain of another precinct. What would you need to do at the Nine-Nine?'

'It's for a smooth transition. If I become captain, you guys will need a new lieutenant or a new sergeant. Terry just wanted me to work with him to make the new second-in-charge find it easier to be at the Nine-Nine.'

'So, you know who it's gonna be?'

'Of course not. The plan is just a general outline.'

'Wow, we're getting a new sergeant or a new lieutenant.'

'Only if I become captain.'

'Ames, you will become captain.'

Amy smiled. He was always so optimistic about everything and she appreciated that. 'Thanks, babe,' she said as she took his hands in hers but he immediately flinched and took a step back. Amy raised her eyebrows. She looked down at his hands. He was wearing gloves. 'Jake, why are you wearing gloves?' she asked.

'It's cold,' he replied.

'Hey, even I'm not finding it cold. What's really wrong?'

Jake sighed as he took of the gloves. 'I injured myself,' he said.

'Oh, my God! Your hand is completely blue! What the hell did you do? Actually, oh, never mind, you can tell me later. Did you even put ice on it?'

'No.'

'Ugh, come here,' she said as he sat down at the kitchen island. She took out the therapy ice and placed it over his hand. 'You should've at least taken the first aid,' she said as she led him to their bedroom.

Once they got there, Amy applied some soothing cream on his hand. She was applying minimal pressure but it still hurt Jake. Yet, he loved the way Amy was taking care of him. Of course, it wasn't the first time she was taking care of him, but it just felt so good each time she did. She then wrapped crepe bandage around his hand and helped him lay down on the bed. She then decided to order in pizza. If Jake wasn't in a condition to cook, she was not going to try making the five of them a lunch. 'You doing better?' she asked after she ordered in.

'Yeah,' he replied with a small smile.

'Told you the first aid would help,' she said as she ran her hand through his hair.

'Ames, the first aid didn't help, you did.'

Amy looked at him with pure adoration. He always said the sweetest things. She then bent down to kiss him and then she lay down with him. The truth was they both helped each other at all times and they knew it. What they didn't know was how much their kids would them in the following days after learning about Jake's freak injury. And, for the rest of theirs lives, the five of them would always help each other no matter what.


	49. Final Days of Maternity Leave

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victor and Camila stay over during the final days of their daughter's maternity leave.

** Thursday: **

'Okay, Mom. I'll talk to Jake about it but I can't make any promises. Bye. Love you too,' Amy said before putting down her phone and Joining Jake and Mac on the floor of their living room.

'So, how're your parents?' Jake asked.

'They're good,' she replied.

'And what did you need to talk to me about?' he asked again.

'Oh, well, Mac's nearly three months old now and, since they've not met him, they were wondering if we could go meet them.'

'Wow that sounds great.'

'Yeah, but can we really go? I mean handling this super hyperactive little guy during an hour's flight is gonna be one major challenge,' she explained as she carried the boy onto her lap. 'Plus,' she continued, 'my maternity leave ends next week. I can't just extend it.'

'Yeah, I see what you mean. Tell you what, we can go over to your parents' for Thanksgiving and even this year.'

'Really?' she asked, beaming.

'Yeah, they're Mac's grandparents and they need to meet each other.'

'It has been sometime since I spent a holiday with my parents too.'

'So, it's a done deal. We're going to your parents' for Thanksgiving.'

'Thank you. I love you.'

'I love you too.' They shared a soft kiss before playing with their son.

** Friday: **

'Hey,' Jake said as he entered the living room.

'Hey, you're back,' Amy said as she looked up from her book. Jake joined her on the couch and the two shared a small kiss. 'So, how was your day?' Amy asked.

'Pretty much the usual. Get a case, catch the bad people, and put them behind bars.'

'I miss that. I can't wait to return to work.'

'Yeah, we can't wait for our sergeant to come back either.'

'It'll probably be a bit difficult to not have Mac around though.'

'Yeah, but it'll be easier after some time. Speaking of our son, where is he?'

'Oh, he's at the park. Mom and Dad are with him.'

Jake looked at her confused. 'Since when do you call my parents "Mom and Dad"?' he asked.

'Um… never. I call my parents "Mom and Dad".'

'Wait, but then, that would mean your parent took Mac to the park.'

Amy smiled. 'Yeah, they realized that it would be easier for the two of them to come her rather than us three to go there. So, they'll be staying with us over the weekend,' she said. 'I hope that's fine with you?' she asked.

'Absolutely. Like I said, they're Mac's grandparents. They deserve to be with him. Plus, they can help us around for the next two days.'

Right on cue, Victor and Camila entered with Mac in his grandmother's arms. 'We're back,' announced Victor.

'Victor, Camila, so good to see you two!' Jake said as he gave them a hug. 'Here, let me take Mac. You must be tired carrying him,' he offered Camila.

'Oh, that's fine,' Camila said.

'It's great to have you here. We're so sorry we couldn't come up to your place,' Jake said.

'Oh, that's okay. Plus, we can help you guys around here,' Camila said.

They sat around the dining table as Camila served the food she had made. As they were having dinner, Amy was feeding Mac at the same time. 'So how did you come up with his name?' Victor asked.

'Oh, it's short for McClane, from John McClane,' Jake answered proudly.

'You named your son after a fictitious character?' Victor questioned them.

Jake looked at Amy nervously. But Amy gave him a reassuring look. 'Jake loves the character. He's his role model,' Amy explained and everyone went back to their dinner.

Camila spoke after some time. '¿Leíste la lista de nombres que sugerimos? (Did you read the list of names we suggested?)' she asked Amy.

'Si (Yes),' she replied.

'¿Y no te gustó ninguno de los nombres? (And you didn't like any of the names?)'

'Mamá, no voy a hablar de esto ahora. Especialmente, no delante de Jake, que no entiende español. (Mom, I'm not going to talk about this now. Especially, in front of Jake, who doesn't understand Spanish.)'

'I really should've learnt Spanish,' Jake mumbled softly. But Amy heard it and she soothingly rubbed his hand under the table, telling him everything was fine.

** Sunday: **

'Good morning,' Jake said as he entered the kitchen.

'Good morning,' replied Camila.

'Good morning, Jake. Where's Amy?' Victor asked.

'Oh, she's taking a shower,' he replied as he sat down to have breakfast. He saw that Camila was feeding Mac and he smiled. 'Hey, thank you so much. You guys have been really helpful,' he told them.

'Oh, not a problem. He is our grandchild after all,' Victor said.

The past two days had gone really well, barring the time Camila and Victor were talking about something with Amy in Spanish but Jake couldn't understand. Maybe they would agree to his plan. 'Hey, listen,' he said, 'Amy's returning to work from tomorrow and just to show that she's been an amazing mother for the past three months, I was planning on taking her out to dinner. Plus, we haven't really had some time to ourselves since becoming parents. Do you guys think you could watch Mac for tonight? Of course it's only for a couple of hours, we'll be back home soon.' Jake prayed to god that they would have no problem to this.

'How typical of you,' Camila responded.

'What?' asked Jake, not understanding.

'You just don't want us to spend time with our daughter.'

'What? I never said that.'

'Oh really? She's told us everything. After she talked with you, she called us to say you three wouldn't be coming. That is why we are here. But even after we're here, you want us gone.'

Jake was shocked to say the least. Amy said what? He was trying to wrap his head around this but he couldn't. Just then, Amy entered the kitchen. 'Good morning, everyone. What should we do today? Jake, any ideas?' she asked.

'I… uh…' he stammered while getting up. 'I need to go to work,' he said.

'What? It's Sunday,' Amy said.

'Holt asked me to come in today,' he said before going to change and leave for work.

Jake didn't return until after dinner that day. He entered at around 8 p.m. By then, Mac was already sleep and Amy, Victor, and Camila had already had dinner. As Jake entered their room, he saw Amy reading a book.

'Hey,' Amy said after noticing him enter.

'Hey,' he replied back glumly as he began to change.

'Someone worked hard today,' she said as she got up to walk to him but he gave no answer. 'There's dinner for you in the fridge,' she said.

'Not hungry.' His tone was so direct, Amy knew something was wrong.

'Okay, my parents suggested watching a movie. You wanna join us?'

'Hmm, do you want me to join you?' he asked sarcastically.

'Why is your tone sarcastic?'

'I know you told your parents. They told me everything'

Amy was confused. 'Jake, I have no idea what you are on about. Look, let's watch a movie and, whatever is bothering you, you'll forget about it.'

'I just wanna sleep. You go, enjoy with your parents,' he said as he lay down on the bed and pulled the covers over him.

As she went down to their living room, she was greeted by her parents. 'Amy, where's Jake? Won't he join us for movie night?' Victor asked.

Instead of answering the question, she asked them a question of her own, 'What did you tell Jake?'

'When?' Victor asked.

'He said that you told him everything I told you guys. What was it?'

'Oh, that,' Camila said, 'We just told him how we knew he wasn't letting you three come over to our place.'

'What?' Amy half-screamed, 'I never said that!'

'You did. You called us to inform us that, after talking with your husband, you three wouldn't be coming over.'

'That doesn't mean Jake forbade us from going! No, he was eager to go, he wanted Mac to meet his grandparents.'

'Oh, it's all just a misunderstanding then. You can sort it out later, right?' Victor asked.

'Oh, it's so easy for you, isn't it? Why did you two have to make the wrong conclusion?'

'Sorry, but look at the bright side: we got to come over.'

Amy sighed. 'I suppose that is the silver lining,' she said.

'Oh, yes. We got to spend time with you and Mac and, most importantly, we taught Jake how to be a good husband and a good father.'

Amy turned to her parents slowly. '"Most importantly"?' she asked them.

'Yes, look how much we taught him,' Camila said.

'Oh, my God! What the hell is wrong with you two? Your first priority was to teach Jake how to be a good father and husband?'

'Of course. What did you think it would be?'

'Oh, I don't know. Maybe spending time with your grandson?'

Victor sighed. 'Amy, that was our first priority when we invited you guys over. But after Jake forbade you from coming, we changed priorities,' he explained.

'Okay, first of all, Jake didn't forbid me or anyone from meeting you two. I've already explained that. Second of all, what on earth made you think he isn't a good husband and father? And don't you dare say it's because he forbade us from coming!'

'Well, we have a list of reasons,' Camila said.

'Okay, start.'

'First of all, he's named his child after a fictitious character. Who does that Amy? A baby's name should come naturally.'

'Really? THAT'S your first reason why he's a bad father? Because his son's name is Mac?' The two of them nodded. 'Well,' continued Amy, 'I guess that makes me a bad mother for agreeing to that name, huh?'

'Oh, no, you're not a bad mother. Just listen to our other points,' Victor suggested.

'If that was your first point, I cannot begin to think what the others might be. So, let me save you the time. Yeah, Jake's not a good husband and a father. You know why? Because he's the friggin' best! He's the best husband I could ask for and the best father Mac could ever ask for. He may be the complete opposite to what you two think a spouse and partner should be, but I love him, and Mac loves him. And if you two cannot accept that, then I don't think you two love Mac or me.' Just as she was about to leave the room, she turned back. 'One more thing,' she said, 'If you have a problem with your grandchildren being named after fictitious characters, brace yourselves. Because if Jake and I do have another child, he or she is gonna be named after a Harry Potter character.'

As she entered her room, she saw that Jake was already asleep. Normally, she would do her crosswords today but she just wanted to sleep. As she joined her husband, she hugged him from the back. She felt sorry for him. He was always criticized by her parents. She wondered what it was like to be constantly put-down by the in-laws. It was something she never experienced. As she had these thoughts, she silently cried. Jake may have been asleep but when the first tear rolled down her cheek onto his neck, he woke up. 'Ames?' he asked softly but the only response he got was her sniffle. As he turned around, he brought her head onto his chest and he started stroking her hair. 'I'm so sorry,' he said.

'Why?' she asked.

'For being angry.'

'Don't be sorry. You should be angry at my parents. They thought you were keeping Mac and me from seeing them. They come to the most absurd conclusions.'

'Hey, it's okay.'

'No, it's not. Why can't they just like you?'

Jake had no answer. So, he just kissed the top of her head and stroked her to sleep.

** Monday: **

As Amy's alarm went off, so did Mac. She smiled at the timing.

'Was that your alarm?' Jake asked, eyes still closed.

'Yeah, sorry if it woke you up,' Amy said while getting up.

'It didn't. Mac did.' Amy laughed softly. How was it that he couldn't be woken up by an alarm clock after all these years but the sound of their son crying immediately open his eyes? 'Do you want me to get Mac?' he asked.

'No, I'll get him. You get one hour of sleep.' It was something they had practiced all the time. Amy used to wake up one hour earlier than him but she would let him sleep for one hour. They hadn't practiced this for three months now. After all, this was the first time Amy was going back to work; hence, the alarm.

As she entered the nursery, she saw that her parents were already there taking care of their grandson. 'Look, Mommy's here,' Victor said.

'Hey, baby,' she said as she took Mac in her arms. 'Why are you dressed?' she asked her parents.

'Oh, we need to get to the airport in thirty minutes.'

'What? Why didn't you tell me? Come on, I'll give you a ride,' Amy said as she was about to leave the room.

'No, Amy, it's fine. We've already called an Uber,' Camila explained.

'Oh.'

'Look, we weren't sure if we'd get to talk but, now that we have the chance, your dad and I are very sorry for everything we discussed about.'

'It's okay, I suppose. I just wish you would accept Jake for who he is.'

'We do. We were just afraid that our daughter would no longer come and visit us when we invite her now because she has a baby,' Victor explained.

'Yes, all our other friends say that they hardly their daughters ever since they became mothers.'

'Mom, Dad, that's sweet. But you're not going to lose me. Yes, I have additional responsibility now, and yes, you might see less of me, but you'll still see me. Plus, I think Mac really loves you two so we'll have to come meet you,' Amy assured them.

'So, when do you think you can come by?'

'Well, Jake was suggesting we come for Thanksgiving.'

'That sounds wonderful,' Victor said. Just then, he got a message, notifying that their Uber was already in front of the house. 'Well, we have to go now,' he said.

'Say bye to Grandma and Grandpa, Mac,' Amy said as she waved the infant's hand. She then put him back in his crib and decided to walk out till the door.

'See you in seven months,' Victor said as he hugged her daughter before entering the vehicle.

'Once again, sorry for everything,' Camila said as she hugged Amy.

'It's okay, Mom,' Amy said.

On the drive to the airport, Camila turned to Victor before speaking, 'Amy was kidding when she said the next child would be named after a Harry Potter character, right?'

The two of them would get their answer nearly three years later when they would be holding Harry in their arms. But that didn't decease the love they had for their grandson.


	50. Walking in the Rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Amy despises walking in the rain but all that may change thanks to a four-year old.

'Wow, that was a heavy lunch,' Amy said as she plopped onto the couch with Jake and their three other kids.

'What's for dessert?' Harry asked.

'Seriously?' Jake asked.

'Harry, you ate so much, we all did. If we eat some more, we're gonna have tummy aches,' Amy explained.

'But I want dessert!' Harry protested.

'Me too!' Mac chimed in.

'Dessert!' Liz demanded.

'Okay, you three think you can eat some more, but you can't. Remember what happened last time when you three said you could eat that pie after Daddy made all those dumplings?' Amy asked.

'Yeah,' they all said, defeated.

'Look, I'll get you some desert later, okay?'

'Okay,' said Mac.

They then started watching T.V. but the lunch was very heavy and some of them started feeling drowsy. 'Mommy, I'm sleepy,' Liz stated.

'Oh, okay. Let's get you to sleep then,' Amy said as she carried the three-year old to her room.

'Daddy, I'm sleepy too,' Mac informed.

'You too? Okay, never mind, you think you can go to bed?' Jake asked and Mac nodded before leaving for his room.

When Amy entered the room, she was surprised to find only Jake and Harry there. 'Where's Mac?' she asked.

'Oh, he felt sleepy too,' Jake replied. 'What's happening today?' he asked.

'Nothing's happening. The lunch was just really heavy today and that's why they're feeling sleepy,' Amy said as she turned to leave the room.

'Wait, not you as well,' Jake hoped.

'No, I just want water. It's so hot today.'

She wasn't wrong. It was really hot that day. She took out a bottle of water from the fridge but she knew it wasn't cold enough to her liking. So, she added some ice cubes. But she realized something when she opened their fridge and freezer – they had no dessert. There was no cake, no pie, and no ice-cream. She knew the kids would be demanding for something sweet as soon as they woke up. So it meant she would have to go out and get something. After finishing the water, she went up to her room. She decided to put on a sundress and got her purse.

'Hey, I'm gonna go till the bakery,' she announced as she entered the living room.

'Why?' asked Jake.

'Turns out we don't have any desserts. I'll go get some tarts, or cupcakes, or whatever I can get.'

'Okay, just take an umbrella. Weather forecast says it's gonna rain.'

'Mommy, can I come too?' Harry asked.

'Sweetie, I'm gonna walk to the bakery. I'm not going to carry you if you want to come,' Amy informed.

'I'll walk too.'

'But what will Daddy do alone? He'll be bored alone.'

'Actually, Harry will feel bored alone, Daddy's feeling sleepy now,' Jake said.

Amy rolled her eyes and laughed softly. 'Fine, you can come with me,' Amy said as the four-year old jumped off the couch and took his mother's hand.

At the bakery, they decided to get five red velvet cupcakes and a big rhubarb pie. Just as they stepped out, it started raining. Amy sighed. She did not like walking in the rain, even if she had an umbrella. To make things worse, there was a child with her. As she opened the umbrella, she wrapped the straps of the bag around her wrist and offered that hand to Harry. The boy looked at it blankly. 'Come on, hold my hand,' Amy offered.

'I want to carry the umbrella,' Harry said.

'Harry, I'm going to be all wet if you carry the umbrella. Now, come on, take my hand.'

'You carry me and I'll carry the umbrella,' he suggested. That was a smart plan for a four-year old. But it was probably going to fail.

'Harry, I told you I wouldn't carry you. Just take my hand now.' The boy pouted and refused to move. Amy sighed again. She didn't want to get wet and she didn't want her son to get wet either. But she really didn't want to be stuck there until the rain stopped. Seeing no other way, she decided to go with Harry's plan. 'Okay, Harry, I'll carry you but you have to hold on to the umbrella tightly. And no moving around too much, alright?' she asked.

'Okay!' the boy exclaimed.

Two minutes later, Amy found herself struggling to balance the two of them while making sure her purse and the bag from the bakery didn't get wet. Harry was enjoying himself, probably because he was not wet, he was being carried, and he was carrying the umbrella. Amy, on the other hand, had water trickling down her back and, since Harry's hold wasn't that strong, had the umbrella's handle hitting her head every now and then. 'Mommy, did you know rain is important?' Harry asked.

'Yeah?' Amy asked as she tried to avoid the puddles.

'Yeah, we need the water to clean, to cook, and to drink,' Harry explained.

'Wow, you're so smart,' Amy noted. She truly meant it. Harry was very smart for his age. But this was perhaps the first time she didn't appreciate it. After all, it was his plan that had got them in this situation. But she still adored his smartness.

As they entered, they were greeted by Jake. 'Hey, there you two are,' he said as he helped her with the bags.

'Well, you're up. What about the kids?' asked Amy.

'Oh, they're playing Snakes & Ladders. Harry, why don't you go tell them to get ready for dessert?' Jake suggested and the boy ran to his siblings. 'Okay, now let's get you warm,' Jake said as he turned to Amy.

The two went upstairs to their room and got Amy warm. 'So, how'd you get all wet but Harry doesn't have a drop of water on him?' Jake asked.

'Ugh, he wanted to carry the umbrella and he wouldn't move if he didn't get to carry it,' Amy explained.

'But you hate walking in the rain and you hate being cold.'

'Oh, it was alright.'

'Tell that to your arm,' Jake said while running his fingers up and down the goose bumps formed there. 'You could've called me. I would've come to pick you up,' he said.

'Really? You would do that?'

'Of course. You'd be warm and Harry would enjoy the ride.'

'Well, not much we can do about that now. Besides, Harry really wanted to carry that umbrella. And I also think walking in the rain was bearable today, Harry was so happy.'

'Well, that's because he was with his amazing mom,' Jake said as he kissed her softly. 'Now, come on, the kids are waiting for us,' he said as he took her by the hand and led her downstairs.

Amy hated walking in the rain. But she found that it was much more bearable if Harry was accompanying her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, fifty chapters! I've really enjoyed writing these and I hope you all have enjoyed. Thank you all for the compliments, the ideas, the suggestions, the kudos. I really appreciate them all. Would you like to see some more chapters to this or do you think I should stop? Please have your say. Also, if you do want these to continue, please drop in your suggestions and/or ideas if you have any.
> 
> Thank you all so much!


	51. Let's Do Something Fun

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In yet another blackout, the squad must try to find a way to pass the time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I decided to continue this fic. Thanks to all those who wanted me to continue. I hope you all like it.

'Okay, these are your room allocations,' Holt said as he passed around the keycards. 'Oh, I also hope none of you repeat the events of five years ago,' he informed.

'You mean how we threw a wild party and shattered your reputation as well as the Nine-Nine's?' Jake asked.

'Good, you get it. See you all at the first seminar,' Holt said as he proceeded to his room.

Jake, Amy and Terry shared one elevator as their rooms were on the same floor. 'We're still gonna party, right?' Jake asked.

'Jake, you heard Captain Holt,' Terry replied.

'Yeah, but that's what he said at the last convention and we still had so much fun.'

'Sorry, Jake, I'm not on board with your plan. Especially, after the events of the last convention,' Terry said as they stepped out of the elevator. 'See you in a couple of hours,' Terry said as he entered his room.

'You still wanna party, right?' Jake asked Amy as they entered their own room.

'Sorry, babe,' Amy said.

'You too?' Jake asked as he plopped onto their bed. 'Come on, Ames. It's the one time of the year we can enjoy ourselves,' he whined.

Amy joined him on the bed and pulled his head to her shoulder. She then ran her hand through his hair. 'I know you wanna have fun but I just think it's better to just be safe than have to clean up the mess. Plus, if we're really being honest, I don't think we'd be able to stay up way past twelve and be drunk,' she said.

Jake lifted his head to look at her. 'Why?' he asked.

'Because we've not done either of those things for nearly a year.'

Jake smiled. 'Being parents really made us more responsible, huh?' he asked.

'Yeah, it did,' she replied with a smile.

'Yeah, I texted my mom after we checked in. They'd just gotten Mac down for a nap.'

'Oh, that's nice.'

'Yeah. Hey, dinner's in a couple of hours. You wanna do anything till then?' Jake asked suggestively.

Amy knew fully well what he was getting at but she decided to tease him. 'Oh, I don't know. I wanna take a shower first,' she said as she got up and took off her clothes. Jake was left shell-shocked as his jaw dropped at the sight of his super sexy wife. Just as she was about to get in the shower, she turned to him and held her hand out. 'Join me?' she asked and Jake immediately jumped up and took her hand.

A couple of hours later, the entire squad was in the dining hall, around one table. 'I hope you all know that the opening ceremony is after the dinner,' Holt said.

'What? After dinner? I thought it was tomorrow morning!' Jake said.

'Peralta, did you not go through the itinerary?'

'You've got to know the answer to that after all these years.' Holt sighed. 'Look, nothing much happens in the opening ceremony. Do we really need to be there?' he asked.

'You do not. However, your wife, who is a sergeant, does. I would expect some more support from you.' Holt said as he got up from his seat.

'You really need to be there?' he asked Amy and she nodded. 'Why didn't you tell me?' he asked.

'I know how much you hate the seminars,' Amy said.

'Yeah, but do you want me there?'

'Well, yeah, I do. But you – '

'Doesn't matter. I'll be there. I love you and I'm gonna be there clapping the loudest for you.'

'Aw, that's so sweet. Although, I'm not gonna be on stage but I appreciate your support,' Amy said as she cupped his face and gave him a soft kiss.

'How many sessions will there be?' Charles asked from across the table.

'Oh, just one. The opening's only for about thirty minutes,' Amy informed.

'Oh, I wasn't talking about the ceremony. I was talking about the sessions of sex in your room tonight.'

'Charles!' they both groaned loudly.

Just as they all stood up to attend the opening ceremony, all the lights went out. 'Woah, is this a blackout?' Rosa asked as they all took out their phones to try and see around.

'I don't know, maybe,' Charles answered.

'Wait, what happens to the opening ceremony? Does it get cancelled?' Jake asked hopefully.

'Look, Captain Holt will have all the answers. Where is he?' Terry asked.

'I am right behind you,' Holt said and all five of them jumped slightly. Hearing the deep, serious voice of Holt out of nowhere during a blackout would spook out anyone.

'Captain, what's going on?' Amy asked.

'Well, it is raining very hard along with some thunder and lightning. Apparently, a bolt struck on of the transmission lines and we are in a blackout.'

'So, what happens to the opening ceremony?'

'Well, it will be rescheduled, most probably to tomorrow.'

'Well, what are we gonna do now?' Rosa asked.

'I guess we just call it a night,' Charles answered.

'It's just eight. It's way too early to go to bed.'

'I agree,' Terry chimed in.

'So what do we do?' Charles asked.

'We could go watch a movie or something,' Amy suggested.

'Yeah, but we all have different tastes and it's gonna take forever until we reach a consensus,' Rosa pointed out.

'Human civilization thrived before modern technology was invented,' Holt said but the five of them just stared at him. 'We can all spend time together and do something fun,' he suggested and the five of them walked to his room.

'Okay, what should we do?' Jake asked as they entered.

'I suggest we discuss Friedrich Nietzsche's saying: "Every deep thinker is more afraid of being understood than being misunderstood."' Holt suggested.

'Nope, absolutely not. Everyone keep on thinking.'

'Oh, let's talk about our favorite books,' Amy suggested.

'Babe, I love you but that's a pass.'

'Oh, well, I don't hear any suggestions coming from you.'

'Okay, just give me a minute. I'll think of something.' The room was silent for some time before Jake snapped his fingers. 'I've got it! Let's all talk about our favorite Die Hard moment!' he exclaimed.

'Jake, I hope you don't wanna sleep on the floor.'

Jake sighed. 'Okay, any other suggestions from anyone?' he asked.

'Ooh! I brought my devil sticks! I can put on a show for you all!' Charles exclaimed as he left to get the sticks.

** Ten Minutes Later: **

'Okay, how was that performance?' Charles asked. The entire room groaned and mumbled but Charles thought it was appreciation. 'Great, now I'm gonna twirl all the sticks in my left hand,' he announced.

'Stop! Just stop, man! We hate your devil sticks! They're incredibly boring!' Terry lost it.

'Oh,' Charles said, disappointed and Terry slowly realized what he had just said.

'Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it.'

'Oh, no my devil sticks are boring. So, let me do something about it, huh? Amy, give me your lighter.'

'What? Charles, I don't have a lighter,' Amy said.

'You're a smoker.'

'No, I was a smoker. I quit smoking nearly nine months ago.'

'Oh, right. Good thing I have my own lighter.'

'Why do you have a lighter?'

'In case this day ever came. If you find my devil sticks boring, I'm gonna light them up for a performance.'

'Boyle, do not be ridiculous,' Holt warned but he was already lighting his sticks.

'Oh you think this is ridiculous? Well, why don'y you ask yourself what your philosophers would say about this, you big, old – Oh! Oh! It burns! It burns!'

'Super cool idea,' Rosa said as she snickered.

'Someone do something!' Amy exclaimed and Terry pulled Charles into the joint bathroom and turned on the shower.

After five minutes, the two of them returned. 'Okay, that's it. No one is doing anything until the blackout's over,' Terry declared.

'Wait, so you just want us to stay here doing nothing?' Jake asked.

'Yes!'

The entire room was silent. Holt was sitting straight and motionless as usual, Jake was playing with a rubber band he found in his pocket, Rosa was sharpening her knife, Charles was looking at his hands in pain, Amy played with her wedding ring, and Terry was looking at his family photos on his phone. The only sound they all heard was the rain outside. But then they heard someone humming and then singing: 'I'm siiiiiiingin in the rain, just siiiiingin in the rain. What a gloooorious feeling, I'm happy again. I'm laughing at clouds, so dark up above. The sun's in my heart, and I'm ready for love.'

Jake, Amy, Terry, Rosa, and Charles slowly turned to Holt. 'What?' asked Holt.

'You were singing,' Jake said slowly.

Holt was silent for some time before speaking again, 'No, I wasn't.'

'You used a contraction! You were totally singing!' They all laughed and sang the entire song together. 

Just as they finished the song, the power came back. After wishing everyone goodnight, they went to their respective rooms.

'Well, that went better than I expected,' Jake said as he got into bed.

'Yeah, especially when we found out that Captain Holt sings,' Amy agreed.

'Yeah, especially then.'

'You know, the blackout reminded me of when Mac was born.'

'Yeah, it reminded me about that too.'

'We're not even gone for a day and I miss him so much.'

'We can FaceTime my mom and we can see him too tomorrow.'

'That sounds good. I think he misses you too.'

'No, he missed both of us.'

Amy smiled up at him. 'I love you,' she said.

'I love you too,' he replied as they shared a soft kiss and closed their eyes. But then Jake spoke again, 'Hey, Ames?'

'Yeah?'

'That song's stuck in my head. I can't sleep.'

'Oh, thank God! Mine too!'

'Do you wanna listen to the song again before we sleep?'

'I think I have to,' Amy said as she got up and searched for her iPad.

The song is 'Singing In the Rain' by Gene Kelly. I hope you all enjoyed the story. Please share your ideas and suggestions if you have any. Also, I've started a new story (I Really Like You). Make sure to check it out.

Thank you!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The song is 'Singing In the Rain' by Gene Kelly. This was a fun suggestion from one of the readers. I hope you all enjoyed the story. Please share your ideas and suggestions if you have any. Also, I've started a new story (I Really Like You). Make sure to check it out.
> 
> Thank you!


	52. Stressed

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stressed about whether they'll get a new addition to their family or not, Amy goes for a walk in the park with her family.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My first story on return to this fic!!! I hope you all like it, especially the one who made this request!!

Jake woke up to the sound of Harry crying through the baby monitor. Even before he could open his eyes, he felt his wife push him down on the bed.

'You can sleep, I've been up for the past hour anyway,' Amy said as she got up to tend to their two-year old. Normally, Jake would persist on being the one to get up. But he had returned home really late the night before due to a stakeout. He was so tired that he let Amy go this one time. He tried going back to sleep.

A cry of 'DAAAAADYYYYYYY' screeched throughout their house and Jake immediately got up and ran to the source of the sound.

'Harry! I'm here!' Jake said as he ran into the room. When he finally got there, he gave out a small scream too. He realized what had happened. The sight of Amy with her hair completely disheveled after taking out her braids was enough to scare even the toughest person on earth. 'Ames, what the hell?' he asked as he took their son from her hands to calm him down.

'I don't know, okay? I mean, I was up for an hour and I did my stress braiding and then I took it off and now I've scared my baby!' Amy was starting to cry at this point as well.

'Hey, hey, it's okay. You didn't scare Harry,' Jake tried to reassure her. 'Harry, it's just Mommy,' Jake told their son and, as he looked closer, he realized that the woman with the crazy hair was indeed his mother.

'Oh,' he said after the realization. 'Mommy, carry me,' he demanded and Amy quickly took him back in her arms.

'Oh, I'm so sorry, I scared you, baby,' Amy said as she composed herself. Jake smiled after everything had settled down.

'Daddy, what happened?' Mac asked as he entered the room.

'Hey, nothing's wrong. Your brother was just scared,' Jake told him.

'He woke me up.'

'Yeah, he woke us all up. What a wakeup call that was, huh?' he joked but Amy was still feeling guilty at the fact that she had scared her son. 'You know what? Mac, you play with Harry and Mommy and I will make breakfast for us, okay?' Jake suggested.

'Okay!' Mac was always eager to play with Harry. The two boys were inseparable.

***

As Jake and Amy began making pancakes, he turned to his wife. 'So, why were you up for an hour and stress braiding?' he asked.

Amy sighed. 'Today's the day, Jake,' she said softly.

He knew what she meant. 'Ames, don't worry, it'll be fine,' he told her.

'How do you know that, huh? We've tried as hard as other couples. I want Liz to be a part of this family so much. But the adoption agency could go with any family.'

'Babe, I get that. I want Liz to be our daughter and I'm nervous too. But there's not much we can do now, is there? I mean, we've sent all the documents, we've met her on all the appointed schedules, and we even took Mac and Harry down there a couple of times to show them our full family. Trust me, it'll be fine.'

'But what if they don't choose us, Jake? What if they go with a family whose mother doesn't scare her own baby?'

'Okay, Ames, you have got to let the earlier incident with Harry go, okay?'

Amy sighed before speaking again, 'I know, I know. But what if they go with another couple? It's completely possible.'

'Then we'll just do the same thing we did when we first decided to have a baby – we'll keep on trying.'

'Promise?'

'I promise.'

'I love you.'

'I love you too.' They shared a soft, tender kiss before Jake spoke again. 'How about we go to the park today? Just to get our minds away from the adoption?' Jake suggested.

'Okay, yeah. The boys would really love that too.'

'Great!' They both went back to making breakfast. 'Just one more thing,' Jake said.

'What's that?'

'Please fix your hair.'

***

After breakfast, the family of four were at the park. Apart from taking their minds off the adoption, Mac and Harry loved the park. After all, which hyperactive toddlers wouldn't? They walked over to the children's fun zone. This was usually an area that they all loved. Harry and Mac could play on the swings and the slides, and just seeing their children enjoy themselves made Jake and Amy so happy.

The park was full of families as it was a Saturday. Kids running all around while their parents kept an eye on them. It was nothing unusual Jake and Amy had seen over the past five years, five years where they had brought their children to the park often. But, instead of being distracted by the peacefulness, Amy was constantly reminded of the adoption. The little girls running around the park, some with their parents while others with their siblings, made Amy even more worried about Liz.

Would they have a female in their family apart from herself? Would Mac and Harry grow up without a sister and not know how to talk to girls later on? Would she ever have a daughter?

These questions brought tears to Amy's eyes. Jake noticed this immediately.

'Hey, what's wrong?' he asked as he wiped the few tears that had slowly left her eyes.

'Sorry,' she said as she rested her head on her husband's shoulder. She wrapped her arms around his arm as they looked at their sons playing. 'Just seeing these little girls around had me thinking,' she explained.

Jake felt guilty. It was his idea to come to the park to get their minds off of all the stress and tension but it had backfired almost immediately. 'I'm sorry,' he said, 'This is my fault. We can go home if you want.'

'No, it's okay.'

'You sure?'

'Yeah. But, um, can we go for a walk around? I just can't stay here looking at everyone's daughters and not think about Liz.'

'Yeah, of course.'

***

The four of them went around for a walk in the park. It was mostly peaceful apart from the crunching of the leaves below their feet. Amy loved the park during the fall. When she was a little girl, her grandparents would take walks with her in the park during fall. And now here she was, with her own family, taking a walk.

After some time, Amy realized that Harry was a few steps behind. 'Harry, come on hurry up,' she encouraged the two-year old and he scurried to his mother. 'Are you sure you don't want me to carry you?' she asked.

'No, leaves!' he said.

'Leaves?'

'Yeah.' He showed her the bunch of leaves he had in his hand. 'Red, brown, gold, purple,' he pointed out the colors.

Amy was amazed. Harry was very smart for someone of his age. They knew this before the age of one, when he said his first word and also figure out how to open his sippy cup somehow. 'You're so smart,' Amy cooed as she ruffled his hair and kissed his cheek. The boy gave her a wide grin, one he had inherited from his father. 'I'm so sorry I scared you today, baby,' she apologized again. This was one of those things she'd never forgive herself for.

'Okay!' Harry said simply and he ran to join his brother and his father.

'Mommy, come fast!' Mac ordered.

'What is it?' Amy asked as she approached them.

'Look!' Amy looked at what Mac was pointing at. There was a squirrel burying some acorns. This wasn't something the kids had seen often and they were amazed. 'Why's he putting the acorns under?' Mac asked.

'He's storing it for the winter.'

'Why?'

'Well, the acorns are his food and, when it snows, he'll need to eat. So, he's saving it for then.'

'Why don't we keep our food under when it snows?'

Jake softly laughed at the innocence of the question. 'Buddy, we have a fridge, remember? But squirrels don't have fridges.'

They decided to take a break, especially for the kids. As they sat down on one of the benches, they heard a few chirps coming from the branch of a tree. 'Hey, look,' Jake said as he pointed to a bird's nest.

'Wow!' exclaimed Mac.

'Sh… Careful, you don't want to scare them,' Amy told him.

'How many birds do you see, Harry?' Jake asked.

'One… two… three… four. Four birds,' he answered.

'Good job.'

'Are they a family?' Mac asked.

'Yeah, I think so.'

'That's so cool! That's Daddy-bird, that's Mommy-bird, that's Mac-bird, and that's Harry-bird. Just like us!'

Jake and Amy were impressed with their son's creativity. As she looked at the family in the nest, Amy seemed notice how happy they all looked. The nest may have been small but the four birds fit perfectly together. Mac was right, the family did look just like them. But one other thing Amy noticed was that both families had only four members. She looked at her own family for a moment. They were her entire world. They were her main source of happiness. Yes, she'd love to have a fifth member, and she was hoping they could accept a fifth member. But if they somehow didn't, it wouldn't mean it was the end of the world. Because she would still have these three people next to her.

***

'What do you want for lunch, Ames?' Jake asked but he got no response. He turned to look at her but she wasn't there. When he turned around, he finally saw her. Amy was on the phone, talking to someone. She was fixed on one spot as she conversed. Jake couldn't hear what she was saying but she looked serious. Was it the adoption agency? After a couple of minutes, she put her phone away as she slowly looked towards her boys. 'Amy, everything okay?' Jake asked slowly.

Instead of giving him an answer, Amy ran up to him and jumped into his arms. She hugged him tightly. 'We're gonna have a daughter!' she squealed.

'Are you serious?' Jake asked as he looked at her. She was smiling widely with tears in her eyes.

'Yeah, that was the adoption agency. They said we were the best parents for Liz. This time next week we'll officially be her parents.'

'Oh, my God! That's amazing!'

'Yeah,' she said as she buried her face in the crook of his neck. 'Thank you for today. This is the best walk I've ever been on,' she said.

'Me too.'

'I love you.'

'I love you too.'

They shared a soft kiss but cut it short when Mac asked, 'Is Liz going to stay with us?'

'Sweetie, she's not just going to be staying with us,' Amy said, 'Liz is also going to be your sister.'

***

** One Month Later: **

Amy pushed the stroller down the park. She stopped right in front of the fountain. She carried the little girl, who was in the stroller.

'I know you're just one and that you won't understand, Liz,' Amy began, 'but this right here was where I found out you'd be my daughter.' She kissed her daughter's nose, which made her giggle.

And it was one of the sweetest sounds Amy heard in her whole life.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, how was that? I hope you all liked it because it just felt so good writing a sweet Jake and Amy family story. Please leave kudos if you like the story. Please don't be shy to send in your requests if you have any. I'll be sure to write stories on them. And please feel free to leave comments (including constructive criticism) if you have any.  
> Thank you!!!  
> P.S. Ella, I'm so sorry for the wait but I hope the story made up for it.


	53. Haircuts

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 1) Amy gives David a haircut.  
> 2) Amy gives Jake a haircut.  
> 3) Amy gets a haircut herself.

** 1996 **

'Dad, I need to get a haircut,' David informed his father.

'Your hair is short enough. You look like a gentleman. Did someone say you look untidy or something?' Victor inquired.

'Maybe that 'someone' is his crush,' Sergio said in a singy-songy manner.

'Hey, not cool, man!' David snapped at his brother.

'Ooh! Who's the girl out of your league?' Amy asked teasingly.

'It's Monica,' Andres said.

'Hey, come on!' David said exasperatedly.

'Wait, Monica from my Math class?' Amy asked.

'Yup!' Juan confirmed.

'Okay, seriously, what is with you guys?' David asked again.

'Hey, you can all stop it!' Victor demanded and all the kids stopped the commotion. He then turned to David before speaking, 'David, I'm not going to give you money to get a weird haircut or anything. You look just fine the way you are and if this girl cannot appreciate you, then maybe you shouldn't be with her.'

***

David was in his room thinking of how he could get that haircut. He was brought out of his thoughts when his sister walked into the room unannounced.

'So, Monica, huh?' she teased.

'Yeah, so what? You have a crush on my friend Bill,' David retorted.

'Okay, first of all, I do not have a crush on Bill. I mean, his name's "Bill"! That's so boring. No one likes a guy with such a boring name.'

'Our president's name is Bill and he just won a second term by a massive margin.'

'Yeah, well, politics is weird. Anyway, second of all, I never said there was anything wrong with you liking Monica.'

'So you think Monica will go out with me?' David asked excitedly.

Amy laughed hysterically. 'God, of course not!' she said once he composed herself. David looked dejected and annoyed. 'But,' continued Amy, 'you're my brother and I want you happy. So, how's about I give you that haircut? Maybe then she'll see you differently.'

'Wow, Amy, thank you so much! I owe you big time.'

'Not at all…' Amy said with an evil smile on her face, one which David failed to notice.

***

'Alright, there you go!' Amy said as she brushed off the hair from her brother's shoulders.

'Thanks, Amy. I don't know how I can ever repay you,' David said as he got up.

'Just look at yourself in the mirror.'

When David did look at himself in the mirror, he shrieked at the sight of his hair. Amy had trimmed from different angles, making his hair look like the different cuts of grass on a football field. One line looked darker than the other and the alternation continued all over his head.

'Amy! What the hell did you do?' David shouted but Amy had already run away.

***

** 2016: **

'Okay! Okay! I'll cut the tips!' Jake gave in and Gina turned off the clipper.

'You promise?' she asked.

'Yes, I promise. In fact, I'll let Amy cut them off.' All eyes turned to girlfriend immediately.

'Amy, you promise to cut off his tips?'

'Oh, yeah, sure,' Amy replied. She hated the tips as much as anyone but she was surprised as to why Jake had asked her to do it.

***

'You ready?' Amy asked as she wrapped the large cloth around Jake's shoulders.

'Yeah, cut off the tips!' Jake demanded and Amy began to do so.

'One question.'

Jake sighed before speaking, 'Look, I was in Florida for WITSEC. I had to change my appearance in order for no one to recognize me. Remember? Even you didn't recognize me at first and you punched me in the throat?'

'Okay, first of all, I punched you because I wasn't expecting anyone to open the shutter. Second of all, people could still recognize you with the tips. Third of all, that was not what my question was going to be.'

'Oh, then what's your question?'

'Why'd you want me to cut off the tips? I mean, Gina was doing a good enough job. Plus, she has more experience with fashion and all this than I do.'

'I just wanted us to do something together. With the night shift, we've just not had time to ourselves. I just felt that we could do something together, even if it's this.'

'Aw, that's so sweet of you. You know what? Not only will I cut the tips, how about I give you a haircut too?'

'Oh, yeah, sure. I forgot that you used to give your brothers haircuts.'

Amy laughed softly while remembering her childhood days. 'Yeah, you don't want the haircuts I gave my brothers,' she said.

Jake's eyes went wide. 'Maybe I don't want you near my hair at all,' he said.

'Oh, relax! It'll be fine.'

***

'So, what do you think?' Amy asked as she showed Jake his reflection in the mirror.

'Wow. Wow, Ames, this is really good,' Jake said as he admired his girlfriend's work. She bent down to rest her chin in his shoulder. 'Okay, now that just makes it perfect,' he commented once he saw his girlfriend's reflection next to his.

'I'm glad you liked it,' she said before planting a kiss on his cheek.

'Thank you for not giving me a weird haircut or anything of that sort you gave your brothers.'

'Hey, I'm not gonna give my boyfriend an awful haircut. As funny as it would be on you, people would look at me weirdly when we're out together.'

Jake laughed softly. 'Well, it's really great,' he said again. 'In fact, I think I want you to cut my hair from now on,' he said.

'Really?' she asked delightedly.

'Yeah, unless you don't want to.'

'No, I do.'

'Thanks.'

And Amy has been giving Jake (and later their kids) haircuts ever since then.

** 2017: **

As she entered her apartment, Amy was welcomed by a delicious smell. She smiled at the thought that her fiancé was making dinner for them.

'Hey, babe,' she greeted Jake as she walked into the kitchen.

'Hey,' he said as he laid the table. 'I hope you're hungry; I made empa – ' He was distracted as soon as he saw Amy.

'Empanadas.'

'Huh?'

'You made empanadas. You make them all the time for me. How'd you forget what they're called?'

'Uh…..'

'Jake, is something wrong?' she asked as she took a step closer to him.

'Um…'

'What? What is it?'

'You, um, you got a haircut?'

'Oh!' she said surprised. 'Oh, you noticed it?' she asked.

'Um, yeah. Kinda hard not to. I mean, it's just up to your shoulders now.'

'Right. I just wanted to try something different,' she explained and Jake nodded. 'Do you, um, do you not like it?' she asked shyly.

'No, I do!' he assured her, 'It's just, um…' he trailed off.

'Come on, tell me.'

'I kinda liked it more when you had longer hair…' he cringed at his own words. He hope he didn't sound inconsiderate.

'Oh.'

'It's not that you don't look good. You do. You look so, so pretty. But I just like it more when your hair is long. I love playing with your hair, I love helping you with your hair when we're getting ready for work or for a night out, I love stroking your hair after sex. Okay, forget the last one. But, hey, it's your hair and you do what you want. You look amazing no matter what.'

Amy smiled as she wrapped her hands around his neck and pulled him for a kiss. 'Thanks,' she said once they parted.

'So, um, you're not mad at me?'

'Jake, why would I be mad at you? You said I look amazing. But, more importantly, you were honest with me. And that's what I love about you. As long as you're honest with me, I'm always happy.'

'I'm always gonna be honest with you, Ames.'

She gave him a peck again. 'But, I need to be honest too,' she began, 'I think this is gonna be the first and last time I cut my hair this short.'

'Really? Why?'

'Well, for all the reasons you like my hair.'

'Not "like", "love",' he corrected and Amy laughed softly.

'Yeah, love.'

Despite her hair being short now, Jake still played with it as much as he could, and Amy loved it. But, as stupid as it may sound to others, they both couldn't wait for her hair to grow back long.

And, truth be told, Amy loved to play with Jake's curls, something he found to be blissful.


	54. Presentation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While preparing for a big presentation, Amy seems to have an unlikely reassurance.

'Right, the kids are asleep now,' Amy said as she herself got ready for bed.

'Yeah, they really love your readings of stories, huh?'Jake asked from the bed.

'Aww, thanks, babe. But you're not so bad yourself.'

'Not as good as you though.' Amy smiled as she picked up her laptop and joined her husband in bed. 'Oh, no, Ames, please,' Jake whined.

'What?' she asked confused.

'I don't want to watch a movie with you.'

'Well, that settles all futyre movie nights then,' Amy said in mock anger.

Jake laughed softly. 'No, I mean, I'm just so tired today. I don't think I have it in me to watch a movie,' he explained.

'Yeah, I get it. But I just wanna go through tomorrow's presentation once again.'

'Oh, right. But, babe, you've been working on that all week. Do you really need to check it again?'

'Uh, YEAH! What if I mess up a slide tomorrow? What if there's a spelling error? What if there's a wrong label for a picture in there?'

'Okay, Ames, I've known you for a long time now so I think any of those happening to your presentation is highly unlikely.'

Amy sighed before speaking again, 'It's just that this is a really big presentation and I don't wanna mess it up in front of you all tomorrow.'

Jake took her hands in his. 'Hey, if it means that much to you, why don't you do a mock presentation here right now?' he suggested.

'Really?'

'Yeah, absolutely. It'll be like you're my teacher and I'm your student.'

'Thanks! This means a lot!'

'Of course, anything.' As they waited for the laptop to fully boot, Jake got closer to Amy. 'You know, now that I think about it, you being my teacher sounds hot,' he said as he kissed her neck up and down.

'Oh, what happened to Mr. "I'm-to-tired"?' Amy asked as she pulled away.

'Hey, sex is an exception, right? I mean, we're too good to not have sex.'

Amy rolled her eyes. But he was right. They were goid at sex. Maybe even great. 'Fine,' she said and Jake punched the airbin delight. 'But only after the full presentation and only if you're a good boy,' she laid down her conditions.

'Yes, ma'am!' Jake agreed as ge rested against the headboard. 

***

As the alarm went off at six, Amy got up. It was for her anyway, Jake gotbup an hour later.

'Ames?' Jake called from his sleep.

'Yeah?' she answered.

'Where are you?' He hadn't even opened his eyes.

'I'm just going to take a shower.'

'How are you not tired after last night?'

Remembering the previous night brought a smile to Amy's face. It had been some time since they had had some alone time. 'Last night was amazing, huh?' she asked as she bent down to meet his face even though his eyes were shut.

'Yeah. Please just come back to bed. We can take a shower together later. It'll save water too.'

'Hmm... you do make a good point. Fine, I'll be back there in a minute.'

'Good. I missed your warm butt.'

'Yeah, well, I'm not gonna go back to sleep. I need to go through the presentation one last time.'

'What? Seriously? Again?'

'Look, I'll be sitting up but how about if I just run my hand through your hair? You'll like that and go back to sleep, right?'

'Please do!' 

Amy smiled at that. She knew how much he loved it when she played with his curls. And she did too.

***

Amy's one hand was on the ENTER key of the laptop in front of her while her other one was playing with her husband's hair. He was already asleep again but she still loved running her hand through his hair. 

She was halfway through her presentation when she felt a tug on the side of her shirt. Weirdly, it was on the side away from Jake.

'Harry? What are you doing here?' she asked the three-year old.

'I got up,' he answered as he shrugged. All of a sudden Amy was glad that she and Jake had put their shirts and shorts back on after last night's escpaades. Ever since becoming parents, it had kind of become part of their routine after every session of sex to put their clothes back on.

'Are you hungry?' she asked but the boy shook his head. 'What do you wanna do then?' she asked.

'Can I play with Mac and Liz?'

'Sweetie, your brother and your sister are asleep right now. How about you play with your toys or you go watch T.V., huh?'

'Can I stay with you instead?'

'Oh, honey, I'd love that but I'm working right now. Are you sure you wanna stay with me?'

'Yeah!'

Amy smiled at ger son's excitement tondtay with her. She was just afraid he'd be bored. As she carried him and place her on her lap, Harry wrapped his hands around Amy's neck and rested his head on her chest, partially looking at the laptop screen.

'Mommy, what's that?' Harry asked as he pointed to the screen to a picture.

'That's the N.Y.P.D. logo,' she answered.

'It's like the one on your hoodie.'

'It is the one on my hoodie. And Daddy's hoodie too.'

Harry seemed to be amused by that. He got even more interested in the presentation as he leaned forward to observe further. 'It's like our coloring book,' he commented.

'What? My presentation?'

'Yeah! There are so many colours.'

'Yes, each color means something different.'

'How?'

'Well, whatever I've written in green means good, orange means okay, and red means trouble.'

'Oh, like a green tick mark and a red cross?'

'Exactly.'

Amy went on explaining and answering everything Harry questioned. This was very relaxing. It also helped that Harry was interested. Everytime Amy looked at him, he had a wide grin on his face, a wide cute grin.

***

After going through the presentation and closing it, Harry turned to Amy. 'Mommy, why doesn't Daddy make presentations?' he asked.

'He makes presentations. Just not as much as me,' she answered.

'Why?'

'Well, Daddy's a detective and I'm a lieutenant. I have to make more presenations and reports for different people.'

'Does that make you better than Daddy?'

Amy laughed at her son's innocence. 'No, that doesn't make me better than Daddy,' she answered. 'But,' she continued, 'you know what does?' 

'What?'

'I have won more Halloween heists than him.'

'Really?'

'Yeah. But don't tell Daddy that, okay?'

The boyblaughed as he looked over to the figure sleeping next to his mother. Jake was sleeping on the pillow but his hands were wrapped around Amy's hips, who was sitting up. 'Daddy looks silly,' he commented.

Amy looked over to her husband. 'No, I think he looks cute,' she disagreed. 

'But his hair is all messy.'

'Well, I know someone else who wakes up with messy hair and is still cute.'

'Who?'

'You!' She planted a kiss on Harry's nose, which made him laugh.

'But he's hugging you too.'

'You're hugging me too. Does that make you silly too?'

'But I'm not sleeping.'

'Yeah, but Daddy loves me. That's why he hugs me. Isn't that why you hug me too?'

'Yes, I love you, Mommy.'

'I love you too, baby.'

'But it's still weird to hug while sleeping.'

'What if I told you that you hug us when you sleep too?'

'No, I don't!'

'Here, look!' Amy said pointing to the pictures on her screen.

They looked at different pictures of their family and they laughed and enjoyed. Eventually, it woke Jake up.

'Hey, what's going on?' Jake asked groggily.

'Daddy!' Harry exclaimed at the sight of his woken up father. 

'Hey, buddy, good morning!' Jake wished as he sat up.

'Good morning!'

'Harry, go wake up your brother and sister, okay? The we'll have breakfast,' Amy suggested and the boy ran away.

'He woke up by himself?' Jake asked.

'Yeah, like thirty minutes ago. He sat through my presentation and enjoyed it.'

'Waking up early, enjoying presentations; he's definitely got your fair share of genes.'

Amy laughed softly before speaking again, 'It was just so cute to see him so happy and interested in the presentation. I mean, don't get me wrong, you've really helped me with this. But just seeing Harry, a three-year old, smile at this complicated presentation was just so heartwarming. I just wish he could cone to work with us today, just for the presentation at least.'

'Yeah, I get it. He has an infectious smile.'

'Yeah. I'm gonna be picturing that smile throughout the presentation.'

But Amy didn't need to picture that smile. Whenever she looked iver to her husband, he had the exact same grin on his face. Harry may have gotten Amy's genes on the inside, but outside he was all Jake.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi!! I'm so sorry it's taken me some time to post a new chapter here. Somehow, my laptop crashed after posting the previous chapter (no correlation, I suppose). I'd give my laptop for a check. I got it back earlier today but, thirty minutes later, it crashed again. Now, I had thought of a few chapters for this series as well as a new story when I didn't have my laptop. So, I was so excited once I got my laptop back. But, once it crashed again, I just knew I couldn't take it anymore without writing. So, here it is, a chapter from my phone. I'm still finding it weird writing long stories from devices other than my laptop. So, updates will be slower than before as I try getting accustomed to this new system. I hope you understand.
> 
> Thank you so much for being patient. I hope you all like this chapter. Please feel free to leave kudos if you haven't yet and also feel free to leave comments (ideas/suggestions/constructive criticism.)
> 
> Thank you!!!
> 
> P.S. Please forgive my spelling errors here. I'm not so bad a t spelling. It's just really weird to type long paragraphs on your phone and although my autocorrect has been put to ON, it's not working. Maybe my phone is crashing too... sad...


	55. Favorite Child

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who's Jake and Amy's favorite - Mac? Harry? Liz?

'Jake, listen, I've got to work on, like, three reports. Do you mind helping me?' Amy asked her husband.

'What the hell? THREE reports? Since when do you procrastinate?' Jake asked.

'Ever since Mac needed new soccer boots bought, Harry needed help with a science experiment, and Liz had to go for Model UN seminars.'

'What?'

'I've been busy with the kids all week, okay?' she shouted, 'The kids needed me every time and I've been there! I put away my arrest reports just to help them! I just need to work on three friggin' long arrest reports today!'

'Ames, Ames,' Jake cooed as he hugged her. 'It's okay. I'll help you. Don't worry,' he said as he rubbed her back soothingly.

'Sorry,' Amy said softly as the tension eased away from her entire body. 'I've just been so stressed because of these three reports. I mean, I demand my detectives and officers to hand in their reports as soon as possible. I tell our kids to finish their assignments on time. What kind of example am i setting?' she asked.

'You're setting a great example by showing them that family always comes first.'

'You really think so?'

'I know so,' Jake reassured with a smile.

'Thank you. I love you.'

'I love you too.' The shared a soft kiss.

'Come on, let's work on it now so that the rest of the Saturday isn't ruined by the reports,' Amy said as she took his hand and lead them to their study.

'Babe, any Saturday I can spend with you is never ruined.'

'Aw, well, aren't you just the sweetest?' she said as she wrapped her arms around his.

They decided to drop in the living room to check in on their kids, who were watching T.V.

'Hey, you guys,' Amy said as they walked in front of the couch.

'Are you two going out on a date?' Mac asked.

'What? No. Why would you say that?' Jake asked.

''Cause you two are glued together and smiling creepily.'

'Well, when you find someone you love as much as your dad and I love each other, we'll see who's being clingy,' Amy countered.

'He's already found someone,' Harry pointed out.

'Yeah, Rachel!' Liz chimed in.

'Shut up!' Mac said rather loudly.

'Okay, everyone stop!' Amy demanded and immediately all three teenagers put a pause to their commotion.

'Look, your mom and I have a lot of work to do and we do not want any disturbances unless it's an emergency, okay?' Jake asked and all three of them nodded.

'In fact, we're gonna give you our phones so that there're no distractions,' Amy said as the two of them took out their devices and gave it to their kids.

'Cool!' Liz exclaimed.

'Wait, does a phone call count as an emergency?' Harry asked.

'Umm... well, no. If it's really important, they'll text us and you can bring it then. But, if it's someone close to us, you can answer,' Amy explained.

'Right, so we're going to work now. you kids enjoy yourselves,' Jake said as the two parents left the room.

Once they were gone, Liz turned to her brothers. 'Who gets what?' she asked.

'What do you mean?' Harry asked confused.

'We've got two phones and the remote controller of the T.V. I want Dad's phone. He's got good games there.'

'Fine, I'll take the T.V. I can watch something useful here.'

'So, I get Mom's mobile. Eh, I can work with that,' Mac said.

'Look at us negotiating peacefully. And Mom and Dad say we fight too much,' Liz joked and they all laughed.

Just then, Amy's phone started buzzed and all eyes turned to Mac. 'What is it?' Harry asked.

'It's a message from Uncle Dave,' Mac said as he looked at the screen. 'Hey, check this out,' he said while showing it to them.

' _Amy, what do you want to do for Mom's birthday next week? Should we buy her a present together?_ '

'Really don't see what's so exciting about that,' Liz said.

'Not the message. Look how she's saved his contact,' Mac said.

' _Captain David Santiago_.'

'Wow, that's weird. Even for Mom,' Harry said.

'Right? You think she saves everyone else's contact this formally?' Mac asked.

'That would be hilarious! You think she saves Dad's contact like that too?' Liz asked.

'I don't know. Let's find out. D-E-T-E-C-T-I-V-E J-A... Nope,'

'What about just "Jake Peralta"?' Harry suggested

'No, it's not there. There's no "Jake" in here at all.'

'What about just "Peralta"?'

'The only Peraltas in here are Grandpa and Grandma.'

'Does she just know Dad's phone number by heart or do they never call each other?'

'Wait, wait, I think I found it.'

'You did?' Harry asked intrigued.

'Yeah, it was under the P's. Not Peralta though.'

'Then how do you know it's him?' Liz asked.

'Because it's next to a picture of Dad.'

'Okay, just tell us what name she's put him under!' Harry said excitedly.

' _Pineapples_.'

'Are you serious? Just _Pineapples_?'

'Yeah, well, that plus some heart emojis.'

'You think that's weird? Look at how Dad's saved Mom's contact,' Liz said as she showed them their father's mobile.

' _Turtle Bug_.'

'Our parents are weird,' Harry declared.

'Yeah, I've never heard Mom call Dad "Pineapples" or Dad call Mom "Turtle Bug",' Liz said.

'Hey, check this out,' Mac said again. 'Mom saves all her brothers' contacts under their full names, everyone else is saved normally,' Mac pointed out.

'Really?'

'Yeah, look: _Rosa_ , _Charles_ , _Terry_. But then look at our uncles: _Doctor Sergio Santiago_ , _Engineer Juan Santiago_ , she's done it for all of them.'

'Maybe it's just the Santiago side of the family,' Harry suggested.

'No, abuelo and abuela have been saved as _Dad _and _Mom_.'__

__'This is getting weirder and weirder.'_ _

__'Yeah, it doesn't make sense to me either.'_ _

__'Let's just drop it,' Liz suggested and they all went back to their devices._ _

__After some time, Harry broke the silence. 'Hey, did you guys know Uncle Dave is abuelo and abuela's favorite?' he asked._ _

__'Seriously?' asked Liz._ _

__'Yeah, where'd you hear that?' Mac asked._ _

__'Dad told me once. But he made me promise not to tell Mom.'_ _

__'Well, Uncle Dave being abuelo and abuela's favorite would explain a lot,' Liz said. And it did. the kids had seen how differently their grandparents behaved when their uncle was around to when their mom was around._ _

__'Yeah, it does. Hey, you think Dad and Mom have a favorite child?'_ _

__'Yeah, obviously,' Mac said._ _

__'Really? How do you know?'_ _

__''Cause I'm their favorite.'_ _

__'Oh, please! You're not their favorite!'_ _

__'Yeah, you're not. I am,' declared Liz._ _

'Guys, listen! We all obviously think that each of us is the favorite child. There's only one way we can settle this,' Harry said and all three of them looked at each other.

'Structured debate!' all three of them exclaimed together.

***

After about an hour, the three Peralta-Santiago children were sitting around the living room with their points and arguments.

'Can I just say something?' Mac asked.

'Wait, the debate startts, then you give your opening statement,' Harry pointed out. 

'It's not my opening statement. I just wanna say that I this debate is stupid.'

'You weren't saying that half an hour ago,' Liz said.

'That's because I didn't realize how much research you two would do.'

'Didn't you research too?'

'Yeah, but this is all I've got,' Mac said as he picked up half a sheet of paper. Compared to Harry and Liz's binders, it was way, way, _way_ too less

'Oh, my God!' Harry said before bursting into laughter.

'How many points you got?' Liz asked, barely able to contain in her laughter.

'Five.' That did it. Liz couldn't take it anymore. She too burst into laughter. 'Hey, I'm not nerdy like you two, alright!' Mac shouted in an attempt to defend himself.

'Okay, okay,' Liz said as she composed herself. What do you suggest we do?' she asked him.

'I don't know,' he shrugged.

'Okay, Liz and I will narrow our points down to our top five. Give us about ten minutes,' Harry suggested.

'Thank you. And I was also thinking, since I'm not a skilled debater like you two, can we like just read out our point and the only one argue against it and let that be it?'

'Sure,' Liz said as she rolled her eyes.

The room was silent apart from the odd sound the pens made as they glided through the paper. Eventually, Mac got bored. 'Just out of curiosity,' he began, 'how many points did you guys have?'

'Twenty five,' answered Liz.

'Wow. And you, Harry?'

'I'll give you a hint: multiply Liz's number of points by 4.8,' he replied smugly. He always prided that he was smarter than his two siblings at most things.

'And that's the first reason you're not their favorite, you smug idiot,' Mac mumbled and Liz laughed softly.

***

'Right, I'll start,' Mac announced and the other two nodded, 'Point one: I'm the firstborn. I officially made Mom and Dad parents.'

'Yes, but the first child is the practice child. It's like how the first pancake you make is the practice pancake; it turns out wonky,' Harry argued.

'Point two: I'm the first son.'

'First is the worst, second is the best.'

'Point three: I am not a nerd, unlike you two.'

'Better smart than dumb,' Liz countered.

'Which bring me to my fourth point: just because I'm not a nerd doesn't mean I'm not smart. Dad was not serious in school but look at all how coolly he solves cases. I'm the same. Tactically, I'm brilliant. That's why Mom and Dad were so proud of me when I became captain of the soccer team.'

'Yeah, to be fair, Harry and i do have the brains for tactical brilliance. We're just not physically strong,' Liz said softly.

'Point five: i already have a girlfriend.' Mac waited for them to cut his point but they just stared at him weirdly. 'See how great my point is,' Mac said proudly.

'Are you kidding me? That was the worst point!' Harry shouted.

'Yeah, how is you having a girlfriend gonna make you the favorite?' Liz asked.

'Because one day Mom and Dad will want to be grandparents. And, among the three of us, I'm already ahead because I at least have a girlfriend,' Mac explained.

'Ugh, that was terrible but I got this,' Liz said and Harry nodded. 'Yes, you have a girlfriend right now, but you're just seventeen. Who knows what will happen in the future? I mean, Mom and Dad started dating each other when they were in their thirties. By the time we're in our thirties, for all we know, you might be single, and I may be married,' she countered.

'Okay, those were my five points. Who won that round?' Mac asked.

'Oh, um, I, uh, I guess, um,' Harry stammered as he searched for the right words.

'What?' Mac asked impatiently.

'There's supposed to be a judge,' Liz said disappointed as it finally dawned upon her.

***

'First report done,' Jake said as he passed it to Amy for her to sign it.

'Yup,' she said as she signed it and put it away.

'Wait, don't I need to sign it?'

'Jake, you didn't make the arrest.'

'But I helped you with the report.'

'Yeah, but you don't even work at my precinct.'

'So, I just help you and get no credit? Well, that sucks,' Jake said as he pouted.

'Hey, no, you were being a good cop and an even better husband. You'll get credit, don't worry,' Amy said as she played with his hair.

'How?'

'Hmm... you tell me.' She then pulled him by the collar for a deep long kiss. Jake was taken by surprise at first but he sunk into it as well. Slowly, the kiss became very heated.

'Dad! Mom!' Mac shouted as the three kids entered the room.

Immediately, Amy pushed Jake away from her. 'What? We weren't doing nothing!' Amy exclaimed in an attempt to cover up.

'What?' Harry asked.

'I don't think they saw anything,' Jake whispered to his wife and she let out a sigh of relief.

'We just have a question to ask,' Mac said.

'Okay, what is it?'

'Who's your favorite?'

Jake and Amy were taken aback. 'What?' she asked slowly.

'Your favorite child. Who's your favorite - Mac, Harry, or me?' Liz asked.

'Oh, that's easy. We don't have a favorite,' Jake answered.

'What? So, you hate all of us?' Mac asked.

'No, I never said that!'

'But you said you had no favorite.'

'Because we don't.'

'I'm confused,' Liz said as she furrowed her brow.

'Okay, everyone, stop!' Amy shouted and the commotion stopped. 'Okay, you three,' she said as she turned to their kids, 'how did you come up with that question?'

The three kids looked at each other before Harry spoke up, 'You got a message from Uncle Dave and we started talking about our uncles.'

'And then Harry talked about how Uncle Dave is abuelo and abuela's favorite and how they ranked you all,' Mac continued.

'Wait, how did you know about that?' Amy asked Harry.

'Um...' the fourteen-year old looked at his father nervously. He had promised Jake never to tell Amy. 'Aunt Ro-Ro told me,' he made up and Jake gave him a small thumbs up.

Amy sighed. 'Okay, continue,' she told her kids.

'Well, that got us thinking and we were wondering who's your favorite,' Liz concluded.

'Well, your dad's right. We have no favorite. And, NO, it's not because we hate you all. Instead, it's because we love you all equally.'

'Come on, Mom. We won't mind who the favorite is. You can tell us the truth.'

'I'm serious. We have no favorite.'

'Really?' Mac asked.

'Yeah, really.'

'But didn't abuelo and abuela rank you all?'

'Yeah, and I hated them for that.'

'Wait, you hate your parents?'

'No, I just hate that aspect of theirs.'

'Why?' Harry asked.

Amy sighed again before speaking, 'Here's the thing. When Mom and Dad ranked the eight of us, it pressurized all of us. Even David, although he always was number one. Anyway, the thing is, we hated when one outranked the other. i mean, we all loved each other because we were family, but, when the rankings came out every month, it just made us more and more anxious and it pained us to see that, no matter how hard we tried, it was really hard to get our parents' approval.'

'Wow, I didn't know that.'

'It must have been difficult for you all,' Liz said slowly.

'Yeah, it was,' Amy said slowly. 'So,' she continued, 'once I became a mother, I vowed to myself to just support my child no matter what. And, once I became a mother to more than one child, I promised to my babies and myself that I'd never rank them. No one is better and no one is worse. I just don't want you all to think we don't appreciate you because we do. Your dad and I love you so, so much. For us, you're all equal.'

'Wow, thanks,' Mac said.

'Yeah, and we love Dad and you equally too,' Liz said.

'Sorry, we barged in here and disturbed you,' Harry apologized.

'It's okay. This was something important after all.'

'We'll go back down now.'

Once their kids had left the room, Jake turned to Amy. 'You alright?' he asked.

'Yeah,' she replied.

'You sure? I know how much it bothers you if someone thinks you love one of our kids more than the others, let alone our kids.'

'Yeah, but they understood. I mean, what if they asked us a question to which we could not explain the answer?'

'Like what?'

'Like if they found out that I keep you in my contacts as _Pineapples_. Or you keeping me in your contacts as _Turtle Bug_.'

'Yeah, that's a much lighter subject but I have no idea how I'd explain those things to those three.'

'Good thing we managed to dodge that then.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I got a laptop that works just fine. YAY!! So, I suppose I can write stories on a daily basis again. The next chapters will be on the really cute and sweet suggestions I received. If y'all have any requests or ideas please leave them down in the comment section.  
> Also, I'm working on a new story called Complications. It's a slight AU of how Jake and Amy are in different precincts and in relationships with different people but eventually meet one another. Although, the first two chapters are more like character descriptions for Jake and Amy, maybe you'll like the story? I dunno just check it out if you want to lol.  
> Please feel free to leave kudos and comments if you liked this story, though they're not demanded but highly appreciated :)  
> Thank you!!


	56. What Were You Doing?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mac is a very inquisitive child to say the least.

'Mac down?' Amy asked her husband as he entered the room.

'Yeah, eventually he did fall asleep,' Jake replied.

'He was adamant to finish that coloring book. He threw a tantrum when I took it away from him.'

'Yeah but I followed your binder for what to do when Mac throws a tantrum.'

'Oh, mama...' Amy said in a shaky voice. Jake following a binder always turned her on.

'I see that following a binder still turns you on,' Jake teased as he got into bed with her.

'No, YOU turn me on, babe. Also, being four months pregnant has really increased my sex drive.'

'Hmm, I can't wait to go to the Hamptons next week. We can have all the alone time in the world.'

'Jake, have you not been listening to me?'

'Right, you're horny right now. You wanna have sex now.'

'Good!' Amy immediately pulled him close to her as she wrapped her hand around his neck and forced her lips onto his. Jake absolutely sunk into it immediately. She had already pulled his shirt above his a few inches above his stomach when....

'Daddy?' a little boy called from the door.

Amy immediately pushed Jake away. in fact, she pushed him so hard that Jake fell on the floor.

'Ames! What the hell?' Jake asked from the floor.

'Not now, Jake!' Amy answered as she turned to their son. 'Mac, why are you out of bed?' she asked the three-year old.

'There was a roach in my room. I made a lot of noise,' Mac answered.

'Oh, buddy, you want us to kill it?' Jake asked as he got up from the floor.

'Please?'

'Of course. Ames, will you go and kill that roach?'

'Oh, yeah, sure. Make the four-month pregnant woman go and kill something,' Amy mumbled as she got out of bed.

'Sorry, but you know how I hate creepy crawlies.'

'Yeah, that's where Mac probably got it from. Why don't you bond over that?' Amy joked as she left the room.

'Not a bad idea,' Jake said as he thought about it. 'Come up on bed,' he asked his son and Mac did as he was told to. 'Roaches are the worst, huh?' he asked.

'Yes,' Mac replied slowly, not looking up at his father.

'Have you seen them fly? They're a hundred times worse when they start flying!' 

'Daddy, no more roaches! They're scary!' Mac shouted.

'Okay, okay,' Jake said as he pulled Mac onto his lap and calmed him down. 'Sorry I scared you, Mac,' he said softly.

'Okay,' Mac said as he started to play with his father's fingers. This was something Jake always enjoyed, ever since Mac first wrapped his tiny hand around his index finger. 'Daddy, I have a question,' Mac said after some time.

'What?' Jake asked.

'What were you doing before I woke up?'

'Oh, um, I, uh, I was searching for a penny I dropped under the bed.' At least that's what Jake thought when Mac asked about what he was doing before when he was on the floor.

'No, before that.'

'Oh, Mommy and I were sleeping.'

'But it looked like you were awake.'

'Huh?'

'You and Mommy had your mouths on each other and were hugging each other.'

'Oh, um, you saw that?' Jake asked worriedly.

'Yeah, what were you doing with Mommy?'

'Okay, that roach is dead,' Amy announced as she entered the room and Jake heaved a sigh of relief. 

'Mommy, what were you doing with Daddy when you were hugging and had your mouths on each other?' Mac asked Amy after not getting an answer from his father.

'Um.... what?' Amy was just as surprised as Jake.

'Before I woke up.'

'Oh, you saw that, huh?' Amy asked as she joined her two boys on bed.

'Yes! What were you doing?' Mac asked again impatiently.

Amy looked over at Jake, who had the same worried expression. 'Daddy and I were kissing,' Amy answered.

'But you don't kiss me like that.'

'Daddies and mommies kiss each other on the lips.'

'But you were pulling and hugging each other.'

'Um, Daddy and I sleep while we hug each other.'

'But you were kissing, not sleeping.'

'Okay, here's the thing,' Jake cut in, 'Mommy and I love each other and sometimes, at night, we kiss each other and hug each other to show that we love each other.'

'Oh.'

'Does that make sense to you?' Jake asked wearily.

'Yeah. But I have another question.'

'What is it?'

'How is there a baby in Mommy's tummy?'

'Why'd he need to get your curious genes?' Jake asked Amy.

'Don't you start with the questions,' she warned him as they both processed their son's question. It was too early to tell him about the birds and the bees, right? 

'Mommy?' Mac prompted.

Amy sighed as she pulled him onto her lap. 'Sweetie,' she began, 'you know Daddy and I love each other, right?'

'Yeah.'

'And when we really love each other, we decided to have a baby.'

'But how does it get in there? Is it from when you kiss each other at night?'

'Yes!' Jake exclaimed and the two pairs of eyes turned to him questioningly. 'Sometimes, when Mommy and I kiss, we wish to have a baby and we have to work really hard so that we can get the baby inside Mommy's tummy,' Jake explained. And he was right to a certain extent extent. By 'work really hard' he meant 'sex' but he wasn't going to tell Mac that exact word.

'One more question.'

'Honey, it's already past your bed time. You need to sleep now,' Amy reminded him.

'Last question. Please?' he begged.

'Okay, last question,' Jake agreed.

'Will you still love me when the baby comes?'

'What?' Jake asked perplexed.

'Ryan told me that when Frank was born, his parents spent more time with the baby.'

'Oh, Mac, we'll always love you, even after your brother is born,' Amy reassured him.

'Really?'

'Of course. When the baby is born, we'll have to look after him more often but we'll still spend time with you. And you'll spend plenty of time with the baby because you'll be a big brother. And we'll love you both equally.'

'Promise?'

'Promise. In fact, to show you that we still love you and want to spend time with you, you can sleep with us tonight.'

'Yay!' Mac exclaimed. Snuggling between his parents was something he absolutely loved.

As the three of them got into bed, Mac spoke up again, 'Mommy, can I kiss you and Daddy goodnight?'

'Sure.'

'Goodnight, Mommy,' Mac said as he kissed Amy's cheek.

'Goodnight, Mac,' Amy said as she kissed his cheek too.

'Goodnight, Daddy,' Mac said as he kissed Jake's cheek as well.

'Goodnight, buddy,' Jake said as he kissed the top of his head.

'Yuck! I don't like kissing Daddy!' Mac declared.

'What? Why?' Jake asked, slightly offended.

'Your face is rough.'

'What? It's not like I have a beard.'

'5 o'clock shadow, Jake,' Amy pointed out. 

'Oh, right,' Jake said as it finally hit him.

'Yeah, you have rough little hairs on your face, just like Mommy has on her legs,' Mac stated as a matter of fact.

'Wait, what?' Amy asked as she slightly raised her head from her pillow.

'You legs are rough too,' Mac said again.

'Okay, I'm shaving my legs RIGHT NOW!' Amy said as she got up again.

'No, Ames, Mac didn't mean that,' Jake tried to calm her down.

'He's three! He's too innocent!' Amy said as she entered their bathroom.

'Mac, why did you say that?' Jake asked his son once Amy was out of sight.

'I was being honest,' Mac replied simply.

'Sometimes it's better to lie.'

'But Mommy says honesty is the best policy.'

'Jake! Get in here!' Amy shouted from the bathroom. Jake sighed as he followed his wife's orders. 'From now on,' Amy said once he was with her, 'you're gonna shave twice everyday.'

'TWICE? EVERYDAY?'

'Yeah, once in the morning, once when you return home.'

'Ames, Mac's just three, he doesn't know what he's taking about.'

'I don't care! Just start shaving before I decide against next week's getaway!'

Jake sighed as he picked up his razor and shaving cream. He'd have to teach this new baby to be clever and always compliment Amy, no matter what.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was based on a really cute suggestion and I can't thank the person more than enough!!! If you all have any suggestions, please feel free to drop them down in the comment section!!
> 
> I'm also working on another fic called Complications. Feel free to check that out too. Also, updates to this fic may be slow because I have to divide my time with both works.
> 
> Kudos and comments are always appreciated but never demanded :)
> 
> Thank you!!


	57. Protecting Us All

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Jake comforts Liz after a nightmare, they come to a realization.

Jake hated paperwork, he really did. It didn't matter to him that it was necessary after each case. He just hated it. Even after he started dating Amy, who brought many changes in him, he still couldn't be bothered to enjoy paperwork. He just did it for the sake of doing it. More often than not, he would procrastinate and leave the paperwork to be done as late as possible. That is why tonight he was completing his paperwork in the study room, while the rest of the house slept.

It took him about thirty minutes to complete it and he was ready to join his wife in bed. But as he made his way to the bedroom, he heard a few soft sobs coming from one of the rooms. He'd recognize those sobs any day.

'Liz?' he asked as he entered his daughter's room.

'Daddy?' she asked as she sat up on bed.

'Hey, what's wrong?' he asked as he joined her on the bed.

'Bad dream,' she replied softly.

'Oh, sweetie, I'm sorry.' He pulled her onto his lap and the four-year old hugged him immediately. 'you wanna talk about it?' he encouraged.

'It was like Home Alone. You and Mommy went to the zoo with Mac and Harry and you left me.'

'Liz, that'll never happen. We'll never leave you alone.'

'Really?'

'Yeah.'

'Then why did I dream of that?'

'Maybe because you watched Home Alone. When we watch movies, they come in our dreams sometimes. And sometimes we turn out to be the characters.'

'Oh.'

'Yeah.' He then pulled apart slightly to wipe her tears. 'Trust me, Liz,' he began, 'we'll never leave you alone.'

'Okay,' she said softly as she nodded. 'Sorry I woke you up,' Liz said as she rested her head on his shoulder.

'Hey, no, don't ever say that! It's my job to look after my baby girl.' He then kissed the top of her head, making her smile. 'Besides, I was up because I had work,' he informed her.

'Oh.'

'Yeah.'

They stayed in the comfortable silence for some time, with Liz rested her head against Jake's chest and Jake rubbing her back soothingly.

'Daddy, do other people get nightmares too?' Liz asked.

'Yeah, they do,' he answered.

'Even Mac and Harry?'

'Yeah, even theme.'

'Really?'

'Absolutely. You know how Mac's scared of cockroaches, right?'

'Yeah.'

'He's had so many nightmares of cockroaches.'

'Even now?'

'Yeah, he still gets nightmares.'

'So, are you gonna go to Mac now?'

'No, it's not like he gets every night.'

'What about Harry?'

'Well, he doesn't get nightmares that often either. And neither do you, really.'

'No, I meant what nightmares does Harry get?'

'Oh, well, sometimes Harry sees big scary animals in his dream.'

'What kind of animals?'

'Lions, tigers, sharks... most of the animals he sees on Animal Planet.'

'So, you always come to us when we have nightmares?'

'Sometimes you come to me at night.'

'Doesn't that bother you?'

'Liz, if I'm with you three, it will never ever bother me, even if it is in the middle of the night. I love you all so much and you'll never bother me.'

'I love you too, Daddy.' Jake smiled as he kissed the top of her head again and they returned to calm silence. 'What about you?' Liz asked after some time.

'What?' Jake asked confused.

'Do you get nightmares too?'

'Yeah, sometimes.'

'Are they scary nightmares?'

'Yeah, kinda.'

'Do you want to talk about it?'

'Oh, Liz, I don't think - '

'But you always tell me that we should talk about our nightmares before sleeping to let it out.'

Jake smiled softly at his daughter. 'You're pretty smart, huh?' he asked,

'Maybe,' she replied smugly and Jake laughed a bit.

'Okay, well, once, a bad guy caught me when i was in Florida. Now, I got out safe but sometimes that guy still comes in my sleep sometimes.'

'That must scare you a lot.'

'It does. And another time I was in prison and I met some really scary guys there too. And in some of my dreams, I wake up in that prison.'

'Wow.'

'Yeah. But you want to hear about the scariest nightmare I've ever had?'

'Okay.'

'I once dreamed that I woke up one morning and all of you were gone.'

'So, you were the only one in the world?'

'No, no. What I mean is, I woke up and Mommy, Mac, Harry, and you were gone.'

'Where did we go?'

'I don't know and that's what scared me the most. You all left me and I searched for you everywhere but I couldn't find you. Even after Grandpa Holt got all the forces, I couldn't find the four of you.'

'Did you get this nightmare from watching a movie.'

'No, I think this is just what I'm most afraid of in the entire world - my family leaving me.'

'But, Daddy, you told me that you'd never leave us. So, we won't leave you either.'

'Aw... that's very sweet of you, Liz.'

'Yeah, even after I marry Prince Charming, I'll never leave you.'

'Hey, the only boys you are ever gonna love are your brothers and me!'

Liz laughed at her father's words. 'Daddy?' she called again.

'Yeah, sweetie?'

'You comfort Mac, Harry, and me after we get nightmares, right?'

'Yeah.'

'Then why don't you come to us when you get nightmares?'

'Because it's Daddy's job to look after you three, not the other way around.'

'So, you have no one else to talk to?'

Jake sighed as he thought about his daughter's questions. But then he realized something. 'No, I do have someone to talk to,' he said.

'Who?'

'Mommy.'

'Mommy always listens to you?'

'Always. She's listens to me and comforts me all the time. Actually, you know how I got way from that bad man in Florida?'

'How?'

'Mommy saved me.'

'Really?'

'Yeah.'

'So, Mommy's always protecting you?'

'Um... yeah,' Jake said slowly as he thought about it. And it was true. Amy had always been looking after and protecting him. Whether it was the time he was in WITSEC, or the time he was in prison, or any other time really, Amy was making sure Jake was always safe. 'Yeah, Mommy's protecting me. Actually, Mommy's protecting all of us,' he said.

'So, she's like a superhero?'

Jake laughed softly before speaking, 'Mommy's not like a superhero. Mommy IS a superhero.'

'But what if Mommy gets nightmares?'

'Well, if Mommy get's nightmares, I comfort her.'

'So, you protect Mommy too?'

'Well, I try. But Mommy is such an incredible person that she doesn't need me to protect her. She can protect herself most of the time.' 

Liz smiled at her father's words but then she let out a little yawn. 'I want to sleep now,' she said.

'Yeah, you should,' Jake said as he carried her.

'Daddy, where are we going?' Liz asked confused.

'You know the rule when you get a nightmare.'

'Snuggles with Mommy and Daddy,' Liz said with a smile.

Once they got to the master bedroom, Jake could see that Amy was already asleep. She had insisted on helping him with the paperwork but Jake reassured her that he could do it on his own.

As he put Liz down next to Amy, he saw that she was already asleep. 'Goodnight, baby girl,' he wished as he kissed the top of her head before going to brush his teeth.

When he got out of the bathroom, the sight in front of him melted his heart. Amy had her arms wrapped around their daughter in a very protective manner, thus proving his previous point.

As he got into bed, Amy woke up due to the presence of additional weight next to her. When she opened her eyes, she saw that it was just her husband. 'Hey,' she said softly with a smile.

'Hi,' Jake said, equally as soft. 'Thank you,' he said slowly.

'For what?' Amy asked confused.

'For protecting us all.'

The two shared a soft kiss before going back to sleep. And Jake pulled his two favorite girls as close to him as possible just to protect himself from another dream where they would be nowhere to be seen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This too was based on a request and, I must say, it was one of the cutest requests I ever received. I hope you all enjoyed it because I sure enjoyed writing it.
> 
> If y'all have any requests for other oneshots in this series, please drop them own in the comments.
> 
> Please feel free to check out the other fic I'm working on - Complications.
> 
> Kudos and comments are always appreciated but never demanded.
> 
> Thank you!!!


	58. Big Brother's Watching You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mac is officially a big brother.

As the sun rays fell on the face of the woman on the hospital bed, she slowly opened her eyes. Amy couldn't help but smile at the first thing she saw - Jake sitting on the hospital chair and holding their newborn as close to hi as possible.

'Hey,' Amy said softly.

'Hi,' Jake replied, equally as soft.

'Harry still sleeping?'

'No, he actually woke up an hour ago,' Jake said as he walked over to the bed with their son.

'What? He's been up for an hour? How did I miss his cry?'

'Maybe because there never was a cry?' Jake suggested as he sat down next to his wife.

'I don't get it.'

'Apparently, Harry doesn't cry when he wakes up. He just opens his eyes and looks around.'

'Aw... that's so cute! But what if he wakes up in the middle of the night and we're asleep? Will he just look around his crib in the darkness until someone comes to pick him up?'

'Ames, I think he didn't cry because he knew his parents were around.'

'Jake, he's less than twelve hours old. You really think he can feel our presence around?'

'Well, yeah, if one of us is carrying him.'

'What?'

'I was carrying him when he woke up.'

'Why didn't you just say that?' Jake just shrugged and Amy took Harry into her hands. 'Daddy's a dork,' she said to him and Jake laughed softly. 'But he's an adorable dork who will always make you laugh,' she said to him.

'And Mommy's always right,' Jake pointed out.

The two of them just looked at this tiny but incredible bundle of joy with wide smiles on their faces. It was still so foreign to them how someone so small occupied such a large space in their hearts. Maybe they didn't need to understand why. Maybe they just needed to appreciate and enjoy it.

'Oh, what if he woke up because he was hungry?' Amy said after sometime.

'Babe, it's okay.'

'No, I need to feed him,' Amy said as she proceeded to take off part of her hospital gown.

'No, Amy, it's okay,' Jake said as he put her gown back on. 'He's already got a full belly,' he said as a matter of fact.

'How?'

'Well, you were sleeping so I fed him from one of the bottles when he woke up.'

'Why didn't you wake me up?'

'You were sleeping after giving birth. You needed the rest.'

'See how incredible Daddy is?' Amy told the baby she was holding. 'But, seriously,' she said as she turned to her husband, 'just wake me up the next time he's hungry.'

'Ames, baby formula is perfectly fine.'

'Yeah, I know. But I just want to keep it as a last resort.'

'Okay. But once we're back home, you're gonna start pumping. And if Harry wakes up, and if you're asleep, I'll still be feeding your milk.'

'Yeah, but I'll still need to wake up.'

'Babe, it's okay to give your body the rest it needs. If you wake up on your own when Harry cries, that's fine. But I'm not gonna wake you up when I can handle it.'

'Jake - '

'No, listen to me, I promised myself to make your life easier however I possibly could. It's why I open every door for you, it's why I make dinner for you, but it's also why i don't want to stress too much about being a parent.'

Amy just looked at this incredible person with a smile and complete adoration in her eyes. 'I love you,' she said.

'I love you too.' They leaned in for a soft kiss but, as they did so, Harry gurgled and waved his tiny fists. 'Looks like someone wants all of Mommy's attention,' Jake pointed out once they parted.

'Oh, sweetie, I still love you,' Amy reassured the little one, 'but you're gonna have to learn to share my love with Daddy and your brother.'

'Speaking of Mac,' Jake said as he looked at his phone, 'Charles just messaged me and they're in the cafeteria.'

'Really?' Amy asked delightedly.

'Yeah.'

'What are doing here then, you dork? Go, bring him here!'

'Okay, okay, I'm going,' Jake said as he got up.

***

As the door to her hospital room opened, Amy saw a three-year old running in.

'Mommy!' the boy exclaimed as he ran towards the bed.

'Mac, hi!' Amy wished to her son. 

'Woah, you might wanna speak a little softly,' Jake said as he followed their son, 'You don't wanna scare your baby brother, now, do you?'

'Where is he?' Mac asked excitedly as he looked around.

'He's right here,' Amy said as she tried showing the little baby in her arms but she was too high from where Mac was standing.

'I can't see him.'

'Okay, you can come up on the bed. Just take of your shoes first and Daddy will pick you up.'

Mac followed his mother's orders and Jake put him next to her. 'Wow, this is the baby?' he asked amazed.

'Yeah, meet your brother. His name is Harry.'

'Wow.'

'Oh, by the way, this is for you,' Jake said as he gave Amy a juice box.

'A juice box?' Amy questioningly.

'It was Mac's idea. He thought you might want it.'

'Aw, Mac, that's so sweet of you,' she cooed as she caressed his cheek with one hand.

'You always bring me juice when I'm sick.'

'But, sweetie, I'm not sick.'

'But you told me that you were going to the hospital last night. And I missed you.'

'i missed you too, baby,' Amy said with tears in her eyes. 'But you now have a baby brother,' Amy pointed out.

'Yeah! He's now outside from your tummy!'

Amy laughed softly. 'Yeah, he is,' she said softly. 'You wanna hold him?' she asked.

'Really?' he asked with wide eyes.

'Yeah. You wanna?'

'Okay!'

'Wait, Ames, are you sure? I mean, Harry's tiny but so is Mac.'

'Yeah, it'll be fine. He's on the bed and he's not tall. It's soft here even if something goes wrong.'

'Okay, but I'm gonna be behind Mac. Just to be safe.' Amy smiled at how protective and safe Jake was being, something he never was the first time she first met him. 'Okay, put one hand behind his head,' he guided Mac, 'and hold him softly here... and just hold him calmly, okay?'

'Wow. I have a baby brother!' Mac said and the parents just smiled at their eldest. It was finally hitting him.

'You can talk to him. Just like you talked to him when he was in Mommy's belly.'

'Okay.' He then looked down to the baby in his arms before speaking, 'Hi, Harry. My name is Mac. I'm three. I'm your brother. Jake Peralta is our Daddy and Amy Santiago is our Mommy. They're the best.

'Daddy is very funny. He always jokes and makes Mommy and me laugh. He cuddles when I'm scared and he makes my favorite food - mac and cheese! But he kisses Mommy a lot. And it's yucky! 

'Mommy loves Daddy and me the most. She always carries me so that I don't have to walk. And she's always hugging and kissing me every time she comes from work. Mommy always protects me from cockroaches - they're the worst. They're very scary. But Mommy always kills them when I'm scared. And she protects you too. She put you in her tummy just to make you safe.

'And I will be the best brother ever. I'll help you everything. Because Daddy and Mommy read me a book to be a big brother. I love you, baby brother.'

Amy was openly crying by the end of Mac's little speech. 'Hey, you okay?' Jake asked concerned.

'Yeah, these are just happy tears,' Amy reassured him and Jake reached over and gave her hand a small squeeze. 'We have great children,' she remarked.

'The absolute best,' Jake confirmed. 'Look, Harry,' he said as he looked down to their two children, 'big brother's watching you.'

'Nice _1984_ reference there, babe.'

'I thought you were born in 1983.'

'No, I meant... never mind.' The two parents looked at their little baby boys and admired the all the love and cuteness there was on that bed right now. 'Yeah,' Amy said softly, 'big brother's watching you, Harry.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, Cam, for this adorable request. If you all have other requests, please do shy away from telling me. I absolutely love requests and working on them!!!
> 
> Please feel free to check the other story i'm working on right now called Complications.
> 
> Kudos and comments are always loved and appreciated but never demanded :)
> 
> Thank you!!


	59. Where Am I?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While working on a case, Jake gets lost.

'Mac, you might wanna pace yourself with the Froot Loops,' Amy suggested the boy who had already filled his bowl to the brim with the cereal.

'Hey, I'm hungry,' the fifteen-year old replied.

'Yeah, but all the sugar is not good for you.'

'What am I supposed to eat then?'

'Have toast, have an egg. Just don't have so much sugar. You're having a lot of juice too. Do you know how much sugar you're consuming?'

'Mom, it'll be fine.' Mac then proceeded to fill milk into the bowl. But naturally, the milk and cereal spilled out.

'Now look what you did.'

'How was I supposed to know that was gonna happen?'

'Because it always does!' Harry answered. 'It's the same reason your hot chocolate level rises when you add your marshmallows - Archimedes' principle,' he further clarified.

'What the heck is Archimedes?'

'How do you not know WHO he is? Oh, you're the dumb one, that's why.' Mac squinted his eyes as Harry smiled smugly. 'I'll give you one hint,' Harry said, ' _eureka_.'

'Eureka? I thought that was one of the phrases Shakespeare came up with, like "Et tu, Brute".'

'I give up,' Harry declared as he raised his hands.

'Hey, Mac may not be book smart, but he's tactically brilliant,' Amy defended her eldest. 'But you did cause this mess. So, clean it up,' she said as she tossed Mac the paper towel.

'Good morning, everyone,' Liz said as she walked into the kitchen and took a seat at the kitchen island.

'Good morning, sweetie.'

'Oh, did Mac go to town with the Froot Loops?' she asked once she saw the mess.

'Yeah, here's a new box,' Amy said as she handed a new box from the shelf to her daughter.

'Thanks, but, Mom, look at all the mess.'

'Hey, I'm cleaning up!' Mac defended himself.

'No, but the mess is all over my side of the island. I mean, can't we just eat at the dining table so that whenever Mac makes a mess it'll be contained to his area only?'

'I get what you're saying, Liz. But you know the dining table is only for important occasions or when we have guests over. Laying out the table and cleaning it after every meal is not something I'm too keen on,' Amy explained.

'Fine,' Liz groaned.

'Hey, you guys,' Jake said as he walked into the kitchen.

'Hey,' Amy said as she gave her husband a peck on the lips. 'What took you so long to get ready?' she asked.

'Well, for one thing, I was still _amazed_ by that wake up call you gave me today,' he whispered into her ears.

'Jake, not now,' she said despite barely being able to contain her smile.

'Right,' Jake said as he pulled away and took a seat at the island too. 'Terry called me,' he announced, 'The man that I've been after's been tracked down and I can go on a stakeout today.'

'Oh, that's good.'

'Yeah, but it's gonna be late in the afternoon. So, I can't pick these guys up from school.'

'Okay, I'll pick them up.'

'You sure?'

'Yeah, I don't have anything particularly important today. I'm sure my lieutenant and sergeant can handle the precinct.'

'Thanks.' Jake then took the Froot Loops box and started filling his bowl to the brim, much like Mac had done earlier.

'Hey, how come Dad can have all the amount of Froot Loop he wants?' Mac asked Amy.

Amy smacked the back of her husband's head. 'Ouch! What was that for?' Jake asked as he turned to his wife. But when he saw the look she was giving him, he poured half of the cereal back in the box.

'Okay, I see what you did there.'

***

'Kids, pizza's here!' Amy shouted as she placed the two boxes down on the table in their living room. After a couple of minutes, the three children appeared.

'Ooh! What's the topping?' Harry asked.

'One's margarita, the other's pesto.'

'Hmm... simple yet brilliant.'

'I know, right?'

'Is Dad paying the delivery man?' Mac asked.

'No, actually, your dad's still not home yet.'

'What? Why?'

'It's what he said in the morning - he's on a stakeout.'

'Yeah, but it's already seven,' Liz pointed out.

'I know. Sometimes, stakeouts go on for hours.'

'But aren't you worried something's wrong?'

'Look, I know your dad's not been this late on work that you can remember of - '

'"That we can remember of"? What does that mean?'

Amy sighed. Maybe she shouldn't have said that. 'Well, once when Mac was two months old, he came home at one in the morning after a drugs bust,' she explained.

'Wait, so he left an infant with a first-time mother until one in the morning?!' Harry asked shocked.

'And _I_ was the infant?!' Mac asked just as equally shocked.

'Look, my point is,' Amy cut in quick;y, 'he came back successful and, more importantly, safe.'

'That's good,' Liz commented.

'Yeah, it is. It's sweet that you're worried about your dad but everything will be fine. Because your dad's the best detective that I know.'

'Okay.'

'Wait, so he's even better than you?' Mac asked.

'Hey, I said _best detective_ , not _best captain_.'

'But Dad's not a captain.'

'Precisely.'

***

Amy was on her bed, solving her crosswords. She looked over at her phone. It was just past nine and she hadn't received any calls or texts from Jake. Yes, she knew he was a brilliant detective and that he had come out of more dangerous scenarios than anyone she knew. But she was slightly worried for him. To be honest, they were both worried about each other each day at work. Still, she was pretty sure he'd come home safe.

After about five minutes, her phone started ringing and she saw that it was Jake. She immediately answered it.

'Jake, hi!' she said excitedly.

'Ames, hi!' he replied.

'Are you done with your stakeout?'

'Yeah. But, listen, I'm lost.'

'What? You're lost? Are you fine? Are you hurt?' It was pretty obvious that Amy was freaking out.

'Yeah, Amy, I'm fine don't worry. I just need you to come pick me up. If you can, that is. I mean, you might be busy with your crosswords - '

'What the hell is wrong with you, you idiot?! I'm obviously gonna come pick you up!'

'But how? I don't even know where I am.'

'i'm an N.Y.P.D. captain. I'll figure something out. Just stay where you are, okay?'

'Okay. I love you.'

'I love you too.'

After putting down the phone and getting ready to leave, Amy turned around just before she left the house.

'Mac, Harry, Liz, get down here!' she called and the three kids came out of their rooms. 'Okay, look,' Amy began, 'your dad's car broke down. I'm gonna go have to pick him up.' She didn't want to tell them that Jake was lost. They were worried something wrong would happen and this would just freak them out.

'Is he fine? Is he hurt?' Liz asked.

'Yeah, he's fine.'

'But why not just call a tow-truck?' Harry asked.

'Because calling your wife and asking for her help is free of cost and what you should do!' Amy shouted and the three of them just stared at her. 'Sorry, sorry,' she said as she composed herself, 'I'm just a bit worried for your dad.'

'We understand.'

'Thank you. So, I'll be going now. Mac's in charge.'

'What? Seriously?'

'Look, we have bigger problems right now. If anything happens, you call either Charles or Rosa.'

'Okay.'

'We'll be back in about thirty.' Just as she opened the door, she turned around. 'I love you all,' she said.

'We love you too, Mom,' Mac replied on behalf of the three of them and Amy smiled at them before leaving.

***

'Jake!' Amy shouted as she ran over to the man standing next to a tree.

'Amy? Oh, thank God you're here!' he said before she pulled him into a kiss.

'Oh, my God! I was so worried about you!' Amy said softly after they parted.

'I know.'

'Where's your car?' she asked as she saw no signs of it.

'Oh, I left it at the precinct.'

'What?'

'Well, this guy that I was supposed to keep an eye on lived near the Nine-Nine. I thought I'd go on the stakeout, make the arrest, take him to the Nine-Nine, and return home.'

'We are so far away from the Nine-Nine right now.'

'I know, I just didn't realize how much I'd need to follow him around.'

'So, you followed him around for over four hours?'

'No, the following stopped about three hours ago.'

'What?'

'Well, the perp figured out I was a cop and he made a run for it. I tried chasing him down but then I tripped and, by the time I got up, I'd already lost him.'

'Ouch. That must have been painful.'

'Not as painful as the scratches on your face seem to be.'

'What? I don't have any scratches on my face.'

'You do. It's here on your forehead, and hear on your nose and even on your hair.'

'Jake, how the hell could anyone get a scratch on their HAIR?'

'I don't know. But you have so many scratches.'

'Wait,' Amy said after sometime, 'Did you break your contact lenses?'

'Oh, well, that would explain a lot as to why I couldn't read any of the signs.'

Amy laughed as she took his hand in hers. 'Let's go home, babe,' she said as she walked them over to her car.

'Agreed.'

'So you just roamed around for these hours aimlessly?'

'Well, yeah, I thought I could make my way back to the precinct. But after three hours, I thought it'd just be better to call you.'

'And how the hell did you not figure out you had broken your contacts?'

'I don't know. I thought my vision was just distorted from all the sugar. It was as if I was high.'

'Jake you had sugar, not cocaine.'

'Hey, they're both white and powdery!'

Any simply rolled her eyes as she opened the car doors for both of them. Her husband was pretty silly and goofy, wasn't he?

***

Once they were on their way home, Jake turned to Amy. 'So, how'd you figure out where I was? he asked.

'I told you on the phone - I'm an N.Y.P.D. captain, i have resources,' she replied.

'But I didn't hear and police cars or helicopters.'

Amy's face became pale. 'Well. I used a different way but you can't be mad at me,' she told him.

'Okay.'

'I used a tracker from the last Halloween Heist.'

'Wait, what?! So, there's been a tracker inside me for the past four months?!'

'No, not IN you. It's ON you, ON your shoes.'

'You were really worried about me, huh?'

'Uh... DOY! But the kids are far more worried.'

'Wow.'

'Yeah. So you're gonna explain everything to them once we get home, not me.'

As Jake tried figuring out the calmest way of explaining the day's events, he also thought of how lucky he was to have four of his favorite people who loved him, cared for him, and worried about him.


	60. Kisses, Relationships, and Sex

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's time for Jake to have the awkward conversation with Mac.

'Okay, let's go through it again, alright?' Amy suggested.

'Fine,' Liz said with a sigh.

'Tiger?'

'Kingdom - Animalia, Phylum - Chordata, Class - Mammalia, Order - Carnivora, Suborder - Feliformia, Family - Felidae, Subfamily - Pantherinae, Genus - _Panthera_. Species - _P. tigris_.'

'See? That wasn't so bad, was it?'

'No. But can we take a break now?'

'Liz, we've only been at it for five minutes.'

'Yeah, but Biology is boring...' her daughter groaned.

'First of all, Biology is fun. Second of all, it's not my fault that you have a test on Monday.'

'Don't you have anything else to do?'

'Helping my baby girl is my first priority.'

'Okay, Mom, that's kinda sweet. But I'm twelve already! Stop calling me your "baby girl"!'

'Not gonna happen, baby girl,' Amy said with a smile and Liz rolled her eyes. 'Speaking of babies,' she said as she turned the pages of the book, 'ready to learn the life cycle of a mosquito?'

'I guess...' Liz mumbled.

Before Amy could start the new topic, a third person entered the room. 'Hey, you guys,' Jake said as he walked to the couch the were sitting on.

'Hey, Dad.'

'Hi, babe,' Amy said as she leaned up to give him a peck.

'Biology, huh?' Jake asked when he noticed the book.

'Yeah, but can we please talk about something else?' Liz pleaded.

'Yeah. Where's Mac?' Amy asked.

'Oh, Mac. He's, um, he's in his room,' Jake answered.

'Why? What happened? Did they lose?'

'Yeah, by one goal.'

'So, he just wants to be alone right now. Not a big deal,' Liz said.

'No, _I_ actually told him to go to his room.'

'What? Why?'

'He did something bad after the game.'

'Are you serious?' Amy asked, her voice full of concern.

'Yeah.'

'Did he get into a fight?'

'No.'

'Wait, so something worse than that?'

'Much worse.' Jake was being very serious so it had to be a big deal.

'What did he do?' Liz asked excitedly. Of course she found the idea of one of her brothers in trouble fun.

Jake sighed as he joined his two girls on the couch. 'Liz, go to your room,' he ordered his daughter.

'What? Come on, I want to know what happened!' she whined.

'Liz, go to your room,' Amy repeated her husband's words in the very same stern tone. Liz looked at both her parents and, once she realized that they were both being very serious, she walked up to her room. 'So, what happened with Mac?' Amy asked her husband once she was sure her daughter was not near.

'It was the final minute of the game and Mac was one on one with the goalie,' he began.

'Right...'

'But he couldn't score. Naturally, he was feeling bad. After the game, I was waiting for him. But he was taking a lot of time. So, I went to search for him and...'

'What? What happened?'

'He was kissing a girl.'

'Wait, what?'

'Apparently, when he feels bad, he finds it comforting with her.'

'Wow,' Amy said slowly.

'I know. Anyway, he's in his room now, reflecting over his actions.'

'What is wrong with you?' Amy asked as she smacked him behind the head.

'Ouch! What?' Jake asked as he rubbed the back of his head.

'You scared the fudge out of me! You had me thinking that he hurt someone or something like that!'

'It's worse! He has a girlfriend!'

'Jake, that's not worse! And we don't even know if she's his girlfriend.'

'Still, kissing?'

'Well, yeah. He's sixteen. It was probably his first kiss.'

'Well, what if it's not? 

What if this is a regular thing?'

'Jake, why are you freaking out?'

'You know what a kiss leads to - sex!'

'So, every time you kissed a girl in high school, it lead to sex?'

'What? No!'

'So, there's no reason to freak out. Besides, you've talked to him already.'

'Actually, the car ride was pretty quite.'

'No, I mean the birds and the bees.'

'The what?'

'You know, the sex talk.'

'Amy, why would I want to have such an awkward conversation with my son?'

'Wait, what? You never had the talk with Mac and Harry?'

'No.'

'Oh, my God! Why not?'

'You never told me to!'

'It's just something you do when it's time.'

'So, you think it's time with Mac?'

'Yeah, like three years too late!'

'Three years? So, when he was thirteen? That's Harry's age!'

'Exactly'

'Fine, call Liz. Let's start with her.'

'Jake, you handle the boys and I'll handle the girl.'

'Wait, so I have to have the talk twice? Why do we have two boys?'

'You're not seriously complaining that we have two sons, are you?'

'No, no, I'm not!' he assured her. 

Amy sighed as she took his hand in hers and began rubbing it softly. 'Jake,' she began, 'I know you might be a bit nervous because it's gonna be awkward. But it's necessary, especially for boys. They pressurize girls more often than the other way round. And I know we've taught our boys well. But they still need the talk about consent and safe sex and relationships. And who better to teach them about all that than their dad? You know what they're going through. You can relate with them. And I don't think there's anyone better to teach our boys about relationships, and safe sex, and respecting women, because you, Jake Peralta, are the best at all those.'

'Thanks, babe,' Jake said as they gave each other a peck. 'Also, for the record, there'll be no one better for when you'll have to have the talk with Liz,' he said.

'Thanks, but I should tell you, I already had the talk with Liz.'

'Already?'

'Last month she was saying she had "weird pains".'

'Oh. _OH_ ,' Jake said as he finally understood.

'Yeah,' Amy said as she nodded. 'It was her first, and I just thought it was time,' she said.

'Right,' Jake said as he nodded along as well. 'I guess I never thought it was necessary because I never had the talk,' he said after some time.

'That's alright. To be honest, even my talk with my mom wasn't the best.'

'Really? What happened?'

'Well, we're Cuban. She believed that I had to wait till marriage.'

'And did you?'

'Jake, we had sex on our first date.'

'Yeah,' he replied smugly, 'Anything for that story.'

'Besides, we were with different people before that.'

'Hey, you didn't need to ruin the mood completely.'

Amy laughed softly as she ran her hand through his hair. 'You're still the best I've ever had,' she said.

'You too.' They leaned in for a kiss which slowly got deeper and heated. Eventually, they had to separate to catch their breaths. 'Should we move to the bedroom?' he asked softly as they pressed their foreheads together.

'No,' she said as she got up.

'Oh, my God! I'm so sorry! I wasn't trying to - '

'No, babe, I want to. But you need to talk to Mac and I need to help Liz with Biology.'

Jake let out a sigh of relief. 'Oh, good. Because when you said "no" I got worried and I didn't want to make you feel uncomfortable and I - '

Amy pressed a finger on his lips. 'And this is why you're the best person to talk to our boys,' she said with a smile.

'Alright,' Jake said as he got up. 'Harry in his room too?' he asked.

'No, he's at Stephen's birthday party, remember?'

'Oh, right. Anyway, wish me luck!'

***

Texting Rachel was one of Mac's favorite things. He found himself doing that often now. And now that his father had sent him to his room, he really had nothing else to do. He finally looked up from his device when he heard a knock on his door.

'Hey,' Jake said as he entered his son's room.

'What? Now I can't use my phone either?' Mac asked unimpressed.

'Look, we need to talk,' Jake said as he pulled his son's chair from his desk and sat opposite to the bed.

Mac sighed as he put his phone down. 'Fine,' he mumbled.

'I may have overreacted a bit.'

'Huh, no kidding,' Mac said sarcastically.

'Look, I know you're sixteen but you're still my baby boy.'

'Okay, you and Mom have GOT to stop calling us "baby boy" and "baby girl"!'

'The point is, I'm sorry about how I reacted when I saw you with your girlfriend.'

'Rachel's not my girlfriend!' Mac snapped quickly.

'Okay, not there yet. I get it.'

'So, it's okay that I'm with a girl?' Mac asked slowly.

'Yeah, absolutely.'

'And it's okay that we kiss each other?'

'Yes, but it stops there!'

'Wait, what?'

Jake sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. 'Listen, buddy,' he began, 'I know what it feels like when you're with a girl and you're being... intimate.'

'Oh, my God! Are you talking about Mom?'

'Mac, we're married. She's obviously the woman I fool around with!'

'EW, Dad!' Mac groaned.

'But I'm talking about how it feels to be with a girl at your age.'

'What do you mean?'

'Look, when you kiss a girl, you probably get some feelings, don't you?'

'Yeah.'

'Yeah?'

'Yeah, like I feel happy and I want to just keep on kissing her and.... '

'"And"?'

'I get other feelings that I don't wanna particularly talk about with you.'

'That's okay, I get it.'

'You do?'

'Yeah?'

'Yeah, you probably want... more?'

'Is that, um, is that wrong?' Mac asked shyly.

'No.'

'So, I can get more?'

'No! I mean, it's not wrong to _want_ more. But it's not the right time for you to _get_ more.'

'I'm not following.'

Jake sighed again before speaking, 'You're an adolescent and you go through different changes. That's why we gave you your own room for your fifteenth birthday. And with the changes you also have desires about, you know...'

'But you said it's not wrong.'

'It's not. But you're still too young to take part in it.'

'So I can have these desires but I need to suppress them?'

'Basically, yeah.'

'But there's this one guy at school, Stephen. He's already, you know...'

'Yeah, okay.'

'So, why can't I?'

'Well, for one thing, you're not at the right age. Look, there's something called consent and it basically means having the permission to do something. We live in New York. The age of consent here is seventeen and you're sixteen.'

'But what if I know about the risks and both of us seem ready?'

'That's like a fifteen-year old complaining that they're politically aware but can't vote.'

'So if I indulge in those activities, I could go to jail.'

'Well, no, but - '

'So, what's the big deal?'

'The big deal is that you need to think about the girl too.'

'What?'

'Look, both boys and girls of all ages have these desires. But those who can't channelize the desires look for the real thing, both boys and girls. But sadly and unfortunately, some boys go the next step way too soon. And sometimes go for it without consent.'

'But that would mean rape, right? I mean, sexual activity against one's will?'

'Yeah, and sometimes they pressurize or even force a "yes" out of the other's mouth just to say that it was "consensual".'

'That's terrible.'

'It is. Now I'm sure you haven't done any of that, but you need to know about this. So, you need to learn to respect women, alright? No means no. It doesn't matter how far you two are or what you're doing. Once she says no, you stop.'

'I understand. So, basically both parties have to agree from the heart.'

'Exactly, you got it.'

'So, every time I'm with a girl, I need to have a detailed conversation with her before we do anything.'

'Well, not a detailed conversation. But you both need to agree and, as you said, it needs to come from the heart, not just because the other's ready.'

'So, I should ask her if she's ready every time?'

'Well, early in your relationship, you'll find yourself asking her almost every time. But slowly as your relationship develops and progresses, you begin to understand when the time's right. I mean, when your mom and I first started seeing each other, I always asked if she was ready or not. But now we just need to kiss and fool around a bit and, before you know it - '

'Yeah, okay, I got it, Dad! We've all seen you and Mom drag each other to the bedroom and it's DISGUSTING!!!'

'Right, sorry.'

'But I understand.'

'Good. Also, when you do move to the next step, use protection.'

'Yeah.'

'I'm talking about condoms.'

'Yeah, I got it, Dad!'

'Right, so that's basically the end then,' Jake said as he got up to leave. Just as he opened the door, he turned around to his son. 'Again, sorry for overreacting after the game,' he apologized.

'Wait, Dad! There's something I need to ask you!' Mac said before Jake could leave.

'Oh, okay,' Jake said as he closed the door and returned to the chair. 'What is it?' he asked.

'Well, remember how I said Rachel's not my girlfriend?'

'Yeah?'

'That's because when I called her my girlfriend in front of our friends, we got into a bit of a fight.'

'Oh.'

'Obviously, we talked things out. That's why she was at the game today.'

'Right...'

'So, what I think I'm asking is how far into a relationship can you put labels?

'Well, there's no exact time period.'

'Oh. How long did it take you and Mom?'

'A month. But that doesn't necessarily mean it'll take the same amount of time for you.'

'So it could happen sooner?' Mac asked excitedly.

'Or later. Listen, when you're both finally comfortable, you can put a label on the relationship.'

'But I already am.'

'But you'll need to wait for Rachel to be comfortable to. You can't just put her on the spot. Remember what I said about giving space and respecting her.'

'Okay,' Mac said as he nodded.

'Trust me,' Jake said as he got up to leave, 'if you really like this girl, the day you two become boyfriend-girlfriend will be a special day.'

Mac looked on as his father left the room. And he trusted every word how father said. After all, he had seen how happy his parents were. If he were to be half as happy with his wife at their age, he should be so lucky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ella, thank you so much for this request. It was tricky but I think such requests are required for authors to test their writing ability. I hope you liked it. 
> 
> If you all have any requests please drop them down in the comments below.
> 
> Kudos and comments are always appreciated but never demanded.
> 
> Thank you!!


	61. We're Often Honest when Drunk

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Even though he is drunk, Amy can't help but admire how amazing her husband is.

'Mommy, one more story!' the three-year old demanded.

'Mac, I've already read you three stories,' Amy said.

'Please?'

'Sorry, sweetie, but it's already past your bedtime.'

'But I'm not sleepy.'

'How about we cuddle till you sleep?'

'Yay!'

Amy smiled as she joined her son in bed and pulled him close to her. Much like his father, Mac loved cuddles and he love it when she played with his soft brown curls. 'Does that feel nice?' Amy asked.

'Yes,' Mac replied softly as he wrapped his hands tightly around his mother. Amy continued to play with his hair, hoping he'd fall asleep soon. Instead, he called out his mother, 'Mommy?'

'Yeah?'

'When's Daddy coming home?'

'He'll be back home soon. Probably in a few minutes now.'

'Can I stay up till he comes back? Then he can cuddle with us too.'

'As fun as that would be, it's past your bedtime and Daddy would want you to be asleep when he comes back.'

'Okay,' Mac said as he let out a small yawn.

'I think you should sleep now,' Amy said as she got out of the small bed. 

'Mommy?' Mac called out again.

'Yes, baby?'

'Will we still cuddle once Baby Brother gets here?'

'Of course.'

'Promise?'

'Yes, I promise. We'll all cuddle together because we all love each other.'

'I love you, Mommy. And I love you, Baby Brother.'

'We love you too, Mac,' Amy said as she planted a kiss on his head. 'Now sleep, and you can meet Daddy in the morning,' she sugested.

'Goodnight, Mommy.'

'Goodnight, honey.'

***

'Come on, man, give me your keys,' Rosa demanded of Jake, while wrapping an arm around him in an attempt to keep him on his feet.

'Here you arrrrreeeee,' Jake squealed as he took out a key chain from his pocket and gave it to the other detective.

'What? Not your car keys. I need the key to your house.'

'My home?'

'Yeah, how else are we supposed to get in?'

'I have a home?'

'Where do you think we are?'

Jake looked around and observed the house in front of him. He had to blink several times to try and maintain his vision but it didn't help him entirely. 'Woah! This looks like my home!' he exclaimed.

'This IS your home, dingus! Now give me the key!'

'I don't have a key.'

'Hey, I'm not in the mood for joking around.'

'I don't have a key,' Jake repeated.

'Jake,' Rosa said through gritted teeth, 'I'm trying to help you. So, for the last time, give me your key.'

'What's a key?'

'Alright! That's it!' Rosa shouted as she tackled him to the ground.

'Ouch! Rosa! What are you doing?' Jake asked horrified, while also trying to push his friend off of him.

'I'm searching for the key on you!'

'I don't have a key!'

'Just shut up and let me search you!'

***

'Hey, sarge,' Rosa said as she knocked on the bedroom door and entered the room.

'Oh, hey, Rosa,' Amy greeted, slightly surprised that her best friend was in the room. 'What brings you here?' she asked as she got out of bed.

'Your dumbass husband.'

'What?'

'Can't you tell he's super drunk?'

'Where is he?'

'What? He's right here!' Rosa said as she turned around but saw no one. 

The two friends shared a worried look before going out to the hallway to search for him. Luckily, Jake was sitting on the floor, looking as if he were in deep thought. Amy looked at Rosa skeptically before joining Jake. 'Hey,' she said softly.

Jake turned to see who had joined him. At first he smiled but then his eyes went wide. 'Oh, my God,' he said softly.

'What? Is everything fine?'

'You look just like my wife! Are you Amy's sister?'

'How wasted are you?'

'He drank ten sots in two minutes,' Rosa replied.

'What the hell? Why?' Amy asked concerned.

'He was undercover at a bar, trying to get along with the suspect. What was he supposed to do?'

'Oh, God,' Amy groaned.

'Look, taking care of a three-year old while pregnant is not easy. So I thought I'd help you with this idiot.'

'Thank you. But I think I can handle it from here.'

'Don't mention it. But hey, if he does anything stupid, make sure you at least send me a picture.'

***

'There you go,' Amy said as she helped her husband sit on the bed.

'Thankssssssss,' he hissed. He looked around and his expression turned serious. 'Why am I in your bedroom? No, I'm married to your sister! I'm not supposed to be here!' Jake exclaimed.

Amy rolled her eyes but was somewhat impressed that Jake was suspicious the moment he was in a bedroom he didn't recognize. 'Jake, this is your bedroom,' she pointed out.

'It is?'

'Yes.'

'Then why isn't Amy here?'

'She is here.'

'She is?'

'Yeah.'

Jake thought about it for some time before letting out a prolonged, 'Ohhhhhhhhhhhh.'

'What?' Amy asked unsure of what weird thought popped into his head now.

'You're right. Amy is here. She's in my heart, and my heart is in me, and I'm here. So Amy's here.'

'Yeah, okay, sure,' Amy said as she rolled her eyes and tried to hide in her laughter.

'You're pretty philosophical, aren't you? But I'm not gonna sleep with you.'

'What do you want to do then?'

'Let's talk about your sister.'

'You mean Amy?'

'Yes, Amy. Do you know how great she is?'

'How great?'

'Really great! She's the best! She is the most awesome person I've ever met. She's smart, and funny, and sexy, and just the best at everything. But don't tell her that I'm drunk.'

'Why not?'

'Because then she'll get mad at me.'

'Oh, I don't think she will.'

'No, she will. Because we have a son, Mac. He's the sweetest and cutest. But he's also super energetic. And he can tire anyone out. And leaving Amy alone with him must have tired her out too so I'm supposed to be there and help her. She'll get mad at me for being drunk and troubling her.'

'Jake,' Amy said softly as she took his hand in hers and rubbed them soothingly, 'I've known Amy for a long time. Trust me, she won't be mad at you.'

'No, she will be! Because she's pregnant too and that means she should be resting while I take care of her.'

'But Amy can take care of herself, can't she?'

'Yes, she is the best at everything, even taking care of herself.'

'So, you don't need to worry about her then,' she reassured him with a smile.

'I suppose,' he gave in.

'So, you're expecting a second child, huh?'

'Yeahhhhhhhhhhhh,' he said proudly.

'What's that like?' Of course, they had talked about this together several times before, but she wanted to see what he said to other people when she wasn't around.

'You know, we tried so hard to get pregnant the first time. It took us nearly a year to get pregnant. And once we did, it was the best thing in the world. We were being as safe as we could in case something bad happened. And that was good because we got through the nine months with minimal worries. And she gave birth to Mac. But this time, we didn't plan anything. She just got pregnant. It wasn't an accident, but it wasn't planned either. Yet, it was just as precious as the first time. Also this might be the last baby we have because she's forty. There were so many risks with this pregnancy. In fact, we were extra careful than we were the first time because of that. But we'll love both our boys equally. Huh. You know what I just realized? Five years ago if you told me Amy loves a boy other than me, I'd be real mad and jealous. Now, it's the most beautiful thing in the world even though she loves another boy who's not me and then she'll love another boy after that.'

It was clear to see that Amy had tears in her eyes. Jake was drunk right now. Super drunk. And yet he could still be the sweetest person in the whole world while talking about his family. She knew he did not have complete sense of where he was or who she was. But she had to kiss him, just to show him that she loved him. But as soon as she leaned forward, he moved back.

'I told you I'm married to your sister!' Jake said again.

'Jake, _I'm_ Amy!'

'You are?'

'Yes! I don't even have a sister, remember?'

'I don't.'

Amy sighed but who could blame him? He was drunk and his brain was definitely not working properly. 'Here, look,' she said as she put their hands forward, 'we have the same wedding rings. Plus, they have our initials.'

'Righhhht.'

'And here,' she said as she placed his hand on her baby bump, 'our second boy.'

'Oh, my God.'

'And, the last proof that I am Amy Santiago...' Amy cupped his face and pulled him in for a kiss. It wasn't a deep and heated one, but rather a soft, tender and long one. It was a kiss they always shared whether they were happy, or sad, or frustrated, or even just to show they appreciated the other.

'Wow...' Jake said softly after they parted, 'you really are Amy.'

'God, were you stoned or what?' Amy joked.

'What happened?'

'I'll tell you in the morning. You need to sleep now.'

After helping him change into something far more comfortable, Amy got them both under the covers. 'Goodnight, babe. Love you,' she wished as she turned off the lights. But she got no response. She turned to see that he was already asleep with a protective arm around her. But although he didn't repeat her words, she knew he loved her too, especially after everything he said tonight.

***

Jake swung his arm over to his wife's side. But when he found it to be empty, he decided to get up. Yet, the moment he opened his eyes, he got a massive headache and he remembered that he had downed ten shots in two minutes last night. But as he tried to put the pieces after that together, Amy entered the room with a glass of... something.

'Hey,' she said as she joined him on the bed and placed the glass on the nightstand.

'Not so loud!' Jake requested a he flinched and covered his ears.

'Sorry,' Amy whispered. 'Guess you have a really bad headache, huh?' she asked.

'Yeah. I was pretty drunk, wasn't I?'

'Yeah, you were.'

'Sorry.'

'It's okay. Besides, you already apologized.'

'When?'

'Last night. You said you were sorry you left me alone with an energetic three-year old, while you returned home drunk.'

'Oh, guess I wasn't completely wasted then.'

'Oh, no. You thought I was my sister.'

'But you don't even have a sister.'

'Exactly, that's how wasted you were.'

'Damn.'

'Yeah. But I was impressed.'

'Why?'

'Because every time I tried to kiss you, you'd back away and say how you were married and loved your life. That was really sweet.'

'So not completely bad then.'

'No. But, um, there was something else that happened.'

'What?'

'Well, you were so faithful that you wouldn't sleep with me because you thought I wasn't myself. So, you just wanted to talk and...'

'Amy, if I said something insensitive, I'm so sorry. I just wasn't myself last night.'

'No, you weren't insensitive yesterday, not even a little bit.'

'So, what happened?'

'Well, we talked about this little one,' she said as she rubbed her bump.

'Yeah?' he asked with a smile.

'Yeah, but, um, you talked about how you were scared something would go wrong early on.'

'Oh, my God. I'm so sorry,' he said as he held her hands.

'No, no, that's okay.'

'It is?'

'Yeah, I was scared about my first trimester too. But why didn't you tell me?'

'Because I knew you were scared. And I was afraid that if I told you that I was scared, it would worry you and I didn't want that to happen because it would raise your blood pressure levels and who knows what could have happened? And I know how much you wanted a baby sibling for Mac and I was worried if this would have been our only chance given your age.'

'Jake, don't worry, I'm not mad at you for being scared. I am a bit annoyed that you didn't tell me though. I mean, yes, it was sweet and I really appreciate you looking out for me. But we promised to always be honest with each other, and that means confiding our fears in one another too. Next time something scares you, you tell me, alright? Even if it's about me.'

'Okay, I promise. But as long as we're being honest with each other, every time I have to leave you at the precinct and go for a stakeout, I make everyone there promise to look after you.'

Amy face lit up with complete admiration for the amazing man that was her husband, Jake Peralta. 'I love you so much,' she said.

'I love you so much too.'

They leaned in for a soft kiss. But when they parted, Amy had a disgusted look on her face. 'Still so much alcohol n your mouth from last night,' she explained.

'Right, sorry.'

'Well, that's what's the elixir's for,' Amy said as she gave him the glass from the nightstand.

Jake took a sip before spitting it back in the glass. 'God, that's disgusting!' he said as he flinched.

'Yeah, well, better down that glass because you have an early morning meeting.'

'With who?'

'Daddy!!' Mac exclaimed as he ran into his parents' room, indirectly answering his dad's question.

Although he had a massive headache right now, the sounds of his wife and son laughing never did hurt him, and they never would.


	62. This Is My Family

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jake and Amy's hopes for telling the truth get completely shattered.

'Yes, Boyle, I'll be making the turkey. Look, if you really want to bring something, you can bring the pie. Yeah, chocolate sounds good. The entire squad's gonna be here and so are their families so make sure the pie or pies are big enough. Also, you know about the special guests, right? Good. Right then, see you next week.'

Just as Jake put down his phone, Amy entered their room. The expression she was wearing was one of disbelief and sadness, one Jake had seen rarely but knew something bad had happened.

'Ames? What's wrong?' Jake asked as he got out of bed.

Amy looked at her husband blankly, not knowing how to break the news. 'They're not coming,' she said in a soft whisper.

'Who?' Jake asked, his voice just as soft as hers.

'Angela and Donald.'

Before Jake could say something, Amy collapsed into him, burying her face into his chest and crying. Instinctively, Jake wrapped his hands around her and soothingly stroked her hair as he guided them to their bed. He thought he could say something to calm her down but even he felt the pain to say anything. He just held her tightly, desperately wishing he could make it all better.

Amy lifted her head after a couple of minutes. 'Sorry,' she said softly as she looked to Jake, 'you're probably feeling just as much pain as I am.'

'Yeah,' he replied softly. 'What happened?' he asked as he tucked a strand of her hair behind her.

'I got in touch with them but they said they didn't want to meet Liz, even after I offered them to pay for the plane tickets.'

'That sucks.' That was all Jake could think of right now, he didn't care if it sounded immature. He just hated that couple right now.

'Yeah. I had this perfect plan for next week, you know? Thanksgiving with the squad and their families, getting Angela and Donald as a surprise for Liz, her getting along with them. And now it's all gone.' Amy knew the waterworks were not too far away again so she rested her head on his shoulder and wrapped her harms around his. 'Maybe we should have just figured it out all those years ago when he first met Liz,' she said slowly.

'Figured out what?' 

'That they wanted nothing to do with their daughter. How can someone not love their own child?'

'I know, it's tough. But Liz is our child, and we love her so much.' Jake himself did not get the love from his dad while growing up. Normally when he heard stories of abandoned children, he'd remember his childhood. Yet he wasn't even thinking of it right now. Right now, he just wanted the best for Liz.

'I know,' Amy said as she looked to face him again, 'But how long can we keep it a secret from her, Jake? She's twelve already.'

'Ames, we're not going to keep it a secret from her. She has a right to know, she deserves to know.'

'So, you have no problem telling her next week?'

'As long as you have no problem, Amy, I have no problem.'

'Thank you.'

Jake kissed the top of her head as they both got into bed. To be honest neither could really sleep that night with thoughts of adoption, love, parenthood, and care swimming through their heads. They had no idea how next week would go down. But they would absolutely make sure everything would be for Liz.

***

'Happy Thanksgiving, you guys!' Charles wished as he placed the pies on the table.

'Thank you, Charles,' Amy said warmly.

'Hey, where're Genevieve and Nikolaj?' Jake asked.

'Oh, they went to check in on her brother. They should be here in about twenty minutes.'

'Check in? Is everything fine?'

'Yeah, he had his wisdom teeth pulled out yesterday so they just wanna make sure he's fine.'

'Oh.'

'Yeah. Oh, hey, Amy, Jake told me about what happened and I just want to tell you that Genevieve, Niko, and I are here for you.'

'Oh,' she said as the smile slowly disappeared from her face, 'thanks, Boyle.'

'I'm sure Liz will completely understand whenever you plan to tell her.'

'Thank you for saying that because we're gonna tell her today.'

'Wow, really?'

'Yeah, we talked about how long we had been planning to tell Liz this and, although it's not exactly how we hoped it would be, we still think it'll be fine.'

'That's great! You know, if I'm completely honest, I don't think I would have been able to tell Nik-Nik the truth if Gintars hadn't shown up.'

'Who?'

'Oh, his birth father.'

'Wait, Nikolaj met his birth father?' Amy asked, clearly not knowing about this.

'Yeah, didn't Jake tell you? It was such a wild ride!'

'Uh, no.' Amy was feeling really uncomfortable. 'Sorry, I just need to...' she said as she left the dining room.

***

Jake entered the living room to find Amy looking at the framed photos of their family on the walls.

'Hey, you okay?' he asked as he walked over to her.

'Yeah,' she said with a forced smile.

'Ames,' he said as he took her hands in his, 'you can tell me anything.'

'I know, I just, hearing Nikolaj got to meet his birth parent got me thinking and I just thought of how Liz would probably never get to meet hers.'

'I knew it,' Jake said as he turned around, 'I'm gonna kick Boyle's ass!'

'Wait, no, Jake, no!' Amy said quickly as she pulled his arm. 'It's not his fault,' she told him.

'I suppose so. But why don't you just rest, okay? Charles and I will handle everything.'

'No, Jake, it's fine.'

'But you're not fine.'

'I will be,' she reassured him.

'You sure?'

'Yeah. But, um...'

'What is it?'

'Can we not tell Liz today? I know we planned for this for quite some time now but I just don't think I'm ready.'

'Yeah, no problem.'

'Thank you so much.'

'Absolutely. We'll tell Liz only if we're both ready.'

'Tell me what?' a voice asked from the door. The two adults froze at the question. They slowly turned around to see their daughter. 'Tell me what?' Liz asked again.

'I think we should tell her,' Amy whispered softly to her husband.

'Are you sure?' he whispered back.

'Yeah, I'm ready.'

'You know I'm standing just three feet away from you, right?' Liz asked, unimpressed.

***

'Liz, please sit down,' Amy requested as Jake closed the door to the twelve-year old's room.

'Okay, am I in trouble or something?' she asked once she sat down on her bed.

'No, no, you're not.'

'Liz, there's something we've wanted to tell you for a very, very long time now but we weren't sure how you'd react,' Jake started.

'Okay...?'

'And we just hope you know that we love you so much.'

'Okay, just tell me!' she said impatiently.

The two parents shared a look before Amy spoke again, 'Liz, you're adopted.'

'Wait, what?' Did she hear her right? Did she just say...

'You're adopted.' Yes. Yes, they did. She had so many thoughts and questions racing through her head right now, she didn't know where to begin. 'Liz,' Amy called out and she was brought back to reality, 'say something, anything.'

'I'm adopted?' she asked softly.

'Yeah.'

'I'm adopted?!' she shouted as she looked towards her parents.

'I know you're having many questions and thoughts but if you could just calm down a bit?'

'How did this.... When did... No, I can't be adopted! The earliest thing I can remember is playing with a beach ball with Mac and Harry in the living room and you coming and stopping us. I don't remember living in another house with other parents.'

'Liz, you were one when you became a party of the family. You obviously don't remember before that,' Jake informed her.

'No, but... why?'

'Does that really matter? We still love you just as much as we love Mac and Harry.'

'Wait, is this why you don't have any pictures of me from when I was born at the hospital? Mac told me you stored them secretly in your room.'

'Yeah, sorry.'

'And do Mac and Harry know?'

'Yeah, we told them when they were seven and four,' Amy replied.

'SEVEN AND FOUR? I'm TWELVE! Why didn't you tell me when I was seven?'

'Liz, we really did want to tell you. But we thought it would be better to tell you after meeting your birth parents.'

'Oh, really? Well, you told me now, didn't you? But I don't see anyone else around. Unless "no one" is my birth parent.'

'No, sweetie, don't say that!'

'Don't "sweetie" me! Where are my actual parents?'

'They're in Florida, where you were born,' Jake replied.

'I'm from Florida? Ugh, that's the worst place on earth! But if you wanted me to meet them before telling me, why aren't they here?'

'We tried getting them here for today but...'

'But what?' she asked but Jake and Amy stood there quietly, looking at the floor and Liz got her answer. 'Oh, the same reason why they left me up for adoption - they didn't want me,' she deduced.

'Liz, no - '

'No? Then why else were you able to adopt me?' Again, the adults were silent. 'Look,' she began again, 'I appreciate you taking me in and raising me like your own daughter. But I can't believe you kept this from me.'

'I know, we're so sorry, Liz,' Amy said again, 'and you have every right to be angry - '

'Angry? You think I'm angry?' she asked them and they nodded slowly. 'Biggest understatement EVER!' she shouted as she stormed out.

***

Sitting on the doorsteps to the front door, Liz was trying to process all her thoughts. The house that she'd been living in wasn't _her_ house. The name she had, Peralta-Santiago, wasn't _her_ name. The family she had wasn't _her_ family. Was her entire life a lie?

''Sup?' someone asked as they joined Liz on the steps.

'Oh, hi, Aunt Rosa,' Liz acknowledged.

'"Rosa"? What happened to "Ro-Ro"? Something wrong?'

'Well, how would you feel if you found out that the people around you aren't who they say they are?'

'Look, we're detectives. If your parents said something about being a D.J. or a librarian, it was just a cover up for a mission.'

'Oh, so they didn't really adopt me? Was that just for a mission too?'

'Oh...' Rosa trailed off finally understanding.

'Did you know too?'

Rosa sighed but it really was time to drop the act after all these years. 'I did,' she answered.

'Seriously? Who else knows?'

'Everyone does.'

'Everyone?! Even Uncle Charles?'

'Especially Charles. Liz, you're the youngest. Of course everyone knows.'

'Why didn't you tell me?'

'Because it's not really my decision to tell you, it's your parents'.'

'Yeah, but you're my godmother, you're supposed to protect me too!'

Rosa opened her mouth to say something but the words just didn't come out. Liz was hurting right now, cutting down her points was not going to help. 'Right,' she agreed instead. 'So how you feeling?' she asked.

'"How am I feeling"? Pretty fu- '

'Woah! Watch it!' Rosa ordered and Liz shut up immediately.

'Sorry,' Liz apologized. She may have been going through several emotions but she was still scared of Rosa. 'But why was I up for adoption in the first place? Am I so bad that my parents didn't want me?' she asked.

'Hey, no, don't EVER say that!'

'Then why was I up for adoption?'

'Alright, look,' Rosa began again, 'The name of your birth parents are Angela Collins and Donald Kelly. Your mom got pregnant right after the two got out of college. They didn't want to terminate but they also weren't ready to take care of you. So, adoption seemed to be the best for them, for you, and whatever couple was willing to adopt.'

'Wow.'

'Yeah. So, unless you got any further questions, I'm gonna head in.'

'Wait, no!' Liz pleaded as she pulled the adult back down by the arm.

'Okay, what else you have in your mind?'

'How come I'm the only adopted one?'

'Liz, your parents wanted a daughter. But Amy was in her forties.'

'So?'

'SO, that's a time when pregnancies are really risky.'

'Oh, but don't call them my parents.'

'Oh, so now you've decided that Jake and Amy aren't your parents?'

'No, now I KNOW that they're not my parents. If you need to sign a sheet of paper to prove that you're a parent, then you're just a parent according to law.'

'You do realize that Mac and Harry have official birth certificates too, right?'

'Yeah, but it's different, they have a natural bond.'

'Liz, you do have a bond with your parents, especially with Amy. You would cry every time if she didn't kiss you goodnight till you were three. You would whine until she was on your team every game night. You literally have only two reliable sources of information - Reuters and Amy. Even with Jake. I know you watched all five Die Hard movies last month and I also know you liked all of them. And you are close to Mac and Harry too. You three are always planning each year for your mini-Heists. Don't you dare say you have no bonds with those four people inside this house.'

'But why didn't they tell me this before? They told Mac and Harry when they were seven and four. Why couldn't they tell me when I was their age?'

'Because they were trying to protect you.'

'Yeah, well it didn't work out too well, did it?'

Rosa looked at Liz for sometime before speaking again, 'Have you noticed that Jake and Amy have been the first people to call it a night on your birthday for the past few years?'

'Yeah.'

'Do you know why?'

'Because they were busy planning and preparing for it the previous night and are tired?'

'Hey, we're talking about Amy Santiago. She's already planned and prepared for everyone's birthdays.'

'Okay, then why?'

'Because they didn't get enough sleep the night before.'

'What do you mean?'

'They stayed up till early morning, discussing whether to tell you the truth or not. They would have long conversations if you were ready.'

'And I was ready! But why didn't they tell me?'

'Because they weren't ready. Liz, it's probably a lot to take for you. I can't even begin to imagine it. But it's not any easier on Jake and Amy. You think they've always been ready to open up about this? They were constantly making sure that they didn't ever make you feel left out. They felt they were walking on eggshells around you. You have no idea how many times they would FaceTime us from their dates, just so that you wouldn't forget them.'

'Wow, it must have been really scary for them. But why didn't they tell me all this upstairs when they told me I was adopted?'

'Okay, no offence, Liz, but when you get angry, you lash out at anything and everything, and you don't let anyone get in a word. I'm sure they would have explained everything calmly if you'd let them speak. But did you?'

'No,' Liz replied softly as she remembered all the things she said upstairs... _to her parents_.

***

'Ames, she didn't mean what she said. I'm pretty sure,' Jake tried consoling his wife by hugging her as close to him as possible.

'No, I know that. But what if we should have told her all those years ago? She may have been young but she would have understood more with each passing day,' Amy tried reasoning between sobs. 'What if we failed as parents?' she asked softly, desperately hoping that it wasn't true.

Jake opened his mouth to answer her but he didn't know what to say. He never thought they ever failed at parenting, especially Amy. Yet now their worst fear seemed to be true. It was difficult for him not to shed a few tears too. But he tried desperately to control them. Because he knew that him crying would only worry his wife even more. He just pulled her ever closer and closed his eyes, not knowing what else to do.

'Mom! Dad! I'm sorry!' Liz exclaimed as she ran into the room and hugged her parents. Immediately and instinctively, they took hugged her back, rubbing her back soothingly and planting several kisses on her head. 'I'm sorry about all the things I said. I wasn't think right and I just...' Unable to finish her sentence, Liz broke down into tears, regretting every detail from earlier.

'It's okay, we understand,' Jake told her slowly.

'And I'm sorry for not letting you call me "sweetie". Please call me that and all the other names always?'

'Of course,' Amy said softly, still unable to fully compose herself.

'And I'm sorry that I said you treated me _like_ a daughter when I really _am_ your daughter. I'm glad your my parents, I'm glad you and Mac and Harry are my family. I know you all were just trying to protect me. I'm proud to be a Peralta-Santiago. I love you all so much.'

'We love you so much too, baby, ever since we first saw you.'

All three of them were openly crying now. But they couldn't care less, because they were crying together _as a family_.

***

'Do you really want us to go in there?' Mac asked Rosa as he and Harry stood quietly outside their sister's room and observed the scene.

'Yes, you do,' she ordered them.

'But they're all crying. Even Dad,' Harry commented.

'Okay, you two better get in there within a minute or I'll reveal your secrets during lunch in front of everyone.'

'As if you know any of our secrets,' Mac scoffed.

'Hmm... maybe I don't. But I think _Rachel_ might know a thing or two.'

The sixteen-year old's eyes became large immediately at her name. 'You wouldn't,' he said with a shaky voice.

'Oh, wouldn't I?' Rosa asked with a smirk. Mac hesitated before entering the room. Harry laughed at this. 'Oh, you think I don't have any dirt on you?' Rosa asked him.

'Of course you don't. I'm as clean as a whistle,' Harry countered.

Rosa pretended to think for some time before turning back to him. You're right, I got nothing,' she said.

'Told you,' he said smugly.

'Yeah, why don't you go hang out in the attic till those four are done? Oh, that's right, your little "experiment" went wrong up there didn't it?'

'Aw, man!' He too joined his family.

Rosa smiled softly as she watched the family of five huddled together. She never had such warm relations with her family, and she wasn't sure if she ever would. But at least she could make it possible for those she cared about; Jake, Amy, Mac, Harry, and Liz were definitely people she cared about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much, eternaloutlines, for this suggestion. I know this is a sensitive matter. But I hope I didn't make any mistakes. I hope you all liked this story, especially because of the wait.
> 
> Also, my classes have now started. Don't worry, I won't stop writing fanfics but they'll come out slower than before, like maybe one story every week. I hope you all understand.
> 
> And you may have noticed that I've finally put in a chapter limit. It's just that with school back on again, I can only do so much. I absolutely love writing here, but I want to start other works too, you know? And this was going to end one day and I suppose I finally put a deadline to it. I hope you enjoy this work till then. I'll definitely be writing after this ends, definitely gonna be in this fandom, and definitely gonna be centered around Jake and Amy. (Because they're just the best, aren't they?)
> 
> Please leave requests if you have any. Comments and kudos are always appreciated but never demanded.
> 
> Thank you!!


	63. Just Like Daddy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mac has a role model.

'It's time,' Jake said as he slung his backpack around his right arm.

'Okay,' Amy said softly as she stood up, balancing their nine-month old son on her hip and taking his hand. 'But first, Mac,' she informed him.

'Yeah, of course,' Jake said with a nod as the two made their way to their son's room.

***

As the three of them entered Mac's room, they could see the three-year old playing with Legos, making something his creative brain had thought of.

'Hey, buddy,' Jake said as he joined his son on the floor.

'Daddy! Come build this rocket with me!' the boy exclaimed while handing a few of the blocks to him.

Jake laughed softly as he ran a hand through Mac's hair. 'I really want to, but remember what I said today morning?' he asked.

'Oh.' The smile slowly faded away from his face.

'Yeah.'

'Is it time for you to go?'

'Yeah.'

'When will you be back?'

'A week.'

'That's seven days,' he said as a matter of fact. Ever since he was taught about that relation, he always pointed it out, something Jake and Amy found to be adorable.

'Yeah,'

'I'm gonna miss you, Daddy.'

'I'll miss you too, Mac,' he said as he pulled the toddler onto his lap.

'Can you not go?' Mac asked as he tightly wrapped his arms around Jake's neck.

'I have to, it's my job. But I promise that when I come back, we're gonna have lots of fun - we're gonna go to the zoo, the aquarium, the ice cream parlor, and I'll make mac and cheese for you, and anything else you want to do.'

'I love you, Daddy.'

'Love you too, Mac,' Jake said as he planted a kiss on his head.

***

After putting his bag in the back of the car, he turned to his wife and son, who had decided to say goodbye outside. 'So...' he trailed off.

'You've got everything you need, right? Fresh pair of clothes, your laptop, your water bottle?' Amy asked.

'Ames, why are you asking me that? You're the one who packed my bag.'

'I know, I'm just really worried,' she confessed.

'Amy, it's just an undercover mission, where I need to spy over the guy. I don't even need to make the arrest, just need to send in the reports everyday, and that's it.'

'Yeah, but it's still dangerous, Jake. You know that fully well.'

'Amy, I'm so lucky to have a wife and two kids who are worried about me. I promise I'll return in one piece for you, Mac, and Harry.'

Amy smiled at his sweet wirds even though she knew better than fully believing it. It wasn't that she didn't trust him. But you never could tell with undercover missions. 'To be honest, they couldn't have chosen a better guy,' she said as she cupped his face with her free hand.

'I love you so much,' he said as he met her hand on his cheek, not wanting to lose the warmth she always provided both on his skin and his heart.

'I love you so much too.'

They leaned in for a kiss, pulling each other as close to one another, trying to put all their emotions into one kiss. Not being able to do this for a week would be torture for both of them. Not being able to even talk to each other for a week would be devastating. They had to make sure this was a kiss they'd remember. Unfortunately they had to cut it short when Harry hit them both on their heads with his tiny fists, clearly not wanting to go unnoticed.

'You really love getting the attention, don't you?' Jake asked Harry as Amy transferred him to her husband.

'Daddy,' he cooed as he smiled at his father.

'Hey, champ. I gotta leave now, for a week actually. I'm gonna miss you so much. And you're such a good boy. Still, no troubling Mommy, okay?' 

'Daddy.' That was really the only word he knew, so he was bound to repeat it over and over again.

'I still can't believe that's your first word. Also, the fact that you were just eight months when you first spoke. You are so smart. But don't say our special word till I get back. I want to be around when you say it for the first time.' That earned him a wide, goofy grin, the carbon copy of his. 'Love you, Harry,' he said before planting a kiss on his forehead, and transferring him back to his wife.

'What's the "special word"? Die Hard?' Amy asked.

'I'm not telling you. That's between me and Harry.' He then gave a tiny fist bump to his son, making Amy chuckle at the whole scene. 'I really should go now,' he said again.

'Yeah, okay.'

After sharing a final goodbye kiss, Amy and Harry stood outside their garage, waving goodbye to the man they so admired, who also wouldn't be around for a week, as he drove away for his undercover mission.

***

'You are so cute,' Amy gushed at the little boy she was feeding. Harry never hesitated to fall asleep. All Amy had to do was feed him and talk to him, and he'd doze off slowly. 'You are so small,' she continued, 'but you are so big in our hearts. Now, tomorrow, we're going to Grandma and Grandpa. They'll even let you sleep in Daddy's old room!'

Harry had finished. So after putting her shirt fully back on and burping him, Amy admired the little one who was now soundly sleeping in her arms. A smile naturally crept on to her face, but then it quickly vanished too because it reminded her of Jake. Normally, she'd smile even wider at the fact that her boys looked like their dad (except for their nose, something which Jake was eternally grateful for). But now they reminded of him. Although he had only been gone for three hours now, Amy was already missing her husband and she knew their sons were too. Not being able to see him for a week was going to be tough on all three of them. Plus, they couldn't even keep in touch for the same time period. She'd have to find a way for the three of them to cope with Jake not being around.

'Mommy! Mommy!' Mac shouted as he entered the nursery, disturbing the peace as well as Harry's sleep. Luckily, the nine-month old, only opened his eyes and looked around without crying. Still, Amy mentally groaned at the fact that she'd have to get her baby back to sleep. Normally, Jake and Amy would be keeping either boy to bed. But since she was alone, Amy decided to first put Harry down.

'What is it, Mac?' Amy asked with a hint of frustration in her voice.

'Can I play for ten more minutes? Please?' 

Oh, the irony of extending the bedtime while also waking his brother up.

***

Amy sighed as she put the fifth pop-up book on the table next to the nursery glider and reached for the next one. The odd night when Harry refused to sleep was tonight. 

'Okay, ready for the next book?' Amy asked the infant sitting up on her lap while turning the first page of the book. But the baby suddenly snatched the book from his mother and threw it on the floor. Amy gasped at her son's actions. 'Harry, we DO NOT treat books that way!' she said in a stern voice. Smart little Harry knew he had done something wrong and he hung his head down low. Amy laughed softly as she turned him around to face him more properly. 'It's okay, sweetie. You'll learn to respect books sooner or later,' she told him softly. Hearing his mother's reassuring voice gave Harry the courage to face her. 

'Daddy,' the boy said.

'Not tired, huh?' 

'Daddy,' he repeated again.

'I know, I know, I miss him too. But he'll back soon, alright?' Harry reached for Amy's hair and put it in his mouth. 'Baby, you can't eat my hair,' she laughed as she pulled her hair back. But then the boy reached for her fingers, making Amy smile wider. Mac and Harry had the ability to make their parents smile just by wrapping their hands around their fingers ever since they both did it just hours after they were born. What Amy didn't expect was for Harry to now put her finger in his mouth. But then she found out why. 'Oh, I'm sorry your gums are itching. Let's get your pacifier,' Amy said while reaching out on the table again. But when she couldn't find the pacifier, Harry again reached for her hair. 'No, no,' Amy said as she again pulled her hair back. But Harry couldn't control it anymore. It was too much for him to bear. And so he started crying on the top of his lungs.

This was going to be a long week for her alone

***

Harry didn't cry often, something Jake and Amy were so proud of. But when did, he'd blow the entire roof off, just like he was doing right now. Balancing her son on her hip, Amy searched for his pacifier everywhere but to no avail. She was getting more and more frustrated. She really needed Jake in times like these.

'Mommy?' Mac called out from the door.

Amy sighed as she faced the three-year old. 'What is it, Mac?' she asked, her tone full of annoyance.

'Do you need help?'

Amy's lips curled into a small smile at Mac's words. 'Please?' she requested.

***

'Mommy, are you sure Harry won't wake up now?' Mac asked.

'Well, I can't say for sure,' Amy said as she tucked him in bed.

'So, what if he wakes up again?'

'Then I'll wake up and help him sleep again.'

'Is that fair? Don't you need to sleep?'

Amy laughed softly as she knelt down to meet him eye to eye. 'It is fair. Look, I'm your mommy. I have to wake up whenever my babies do,' she told him.

'But what if you don't get enough sleep? You always tell me to take naps to get enough sleep.'

'Sweetie, I get enough sleep. Look, this is not something you need to worry about.'

'Okay.'

'Yeah, you've done enough helping for today. Thank you.'

'You're welcome.'

'Also, I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier.'

'It's okay, Mommy. You were first-tarted.'

' _Frustrated _,' she corrected him with a small laugh before continuing, 'And yes, I was. But I still shouldn't let it out on one of my favorite boys.'__

__'It's okay, Mommy,' Mac repeated._ _

____

Amy planted a kiss on his firehead before speaking again, 'Now, you need to sleep, alright? You've got a long day with Grandma and Grandpa tomorrow.'

'Mommy, can I ask you something?'

'Sure.'

'Why did Daddy have to go?'

'Well, Daddy's a detective. And sometimes detectives need to go away for work.'

'So, Uncle Charlie and Auntie Ro-Ro are going too?'

'Well, not this time. This time it's only Daddy.'

'Why only Daddy?'

'Because Daddy's the best detective.'

'Yeah, Daddy really is the best.'

'Even better than me?' Amy asked in mock offence.

'Oh, uh....' Mac hesitated to find the right answer.

Amy laughed at how cute her son looked when flustered. 'I'm just kidding, Daddy is much better than me,' she reassured him.

'Mommy?'

'Yeah?'

'I wanna be like Daddy when I grow up.'

'Aw, really?' Amy asked with absolute adoration.

'But how?'

'How what?'

'How do I be like Daddy?'

'Honey, as you grow up, you'll follow Daddy. In fact, you're like him already in so many ways,' she said as she ran a hand through his hair.

'Really?' he asked excitedly.

'Oh, yeah. Mac, for one thing, you look exactly like Daddy. You love ice cream, just like Daddy. You always make Harry and me laugh, just like Daddy. You're smart, just like Daddy. You are really sweet and helpful, just like Daddy. Trust me, you are like your father in so many ways, baby.'

'So, I really am like Daddy?' Mac asked with a smile.

'Without a doubt,' Amy replied with a smile too.

'Do you think Daddy's proud of me for being like him?'

'Yes, he is so, so, so very proud of you.' 

'Mommy, can you cuddle with me?'

'Yeah, sure.' As Amy got into the small bed, she tried pulling Mac close to her but he resisted. She looked down at him questioningly. 'I though you wanted to cuddle?' she asked.

'Not like this.'

'Then how?'

'Can you cuddle from me behind? Like from the back? I like it when you do that.'

Amy smiled at his request to be little spoon. 'Yeah, sure,' she agreed as they shifted into position.

'Goodnight, Mommy.'

'Goodnight, Mac.'

Amy smiled as she stroked Mac's hair to make him fall asleep. She had listed so many ways in which he was like Jake. now she could add a new item to that list - being little spoon and having their hair played with. Jake always loved that and it turned out that Mac did too. She remembered so many time Jake was worried that he wouldn't be a good enough a father for Mac and Harry. Of course she had reassured him that he'd be a great dad, which he was. But hearing it from their own son would definitely convince him that he was great. She couldn't wait for Jake to return.

***

** One Week Later **

Amy was woken up by the sound transmitted through the baby monitor. She looked over at the digital clock on her nightstand as she got up - 5:43 a.m., Saturday. She'd usually wake up at seven on Saturdays but that was not going to happen today.

As she made her way to the nursery, the sound of Harry crying slowly died out. She wondered what had happened. As she entered the room, she froze as soon as she got her answer.

'Oh, my God,' she said softly.

Jake turned around with Harry, who was now openly giggling in his father's hands. 'Hey,' he said with a smile. Amy made her way to her husband and immediately pulled him into a kiss. Jake too reciprocated immediately without any for of resistance. Oh, how they had missed each other. But Harry didn't care. He hit them both with his fists as hard as he could. 'Wow, it's as if I never left,' joked Jake and Amy laughed. God, he'd missed that sound.

'I can't believe you're here already.'

'It's already been a week. Did you want me gone for longer?'

'No, absolutely not! I just thought you'd return later today, not at six in the morning.'

'Oh.'

'Yeah, but that doesn't matter. You're back early on a Saturday, that's what matters.'

'I missed you all so much.'

'We missed you so much too, didn't we, Harry?' Amy asked.

'Daddy!' the boy exclaimed.

'I'll take that as a yes,' Jake said.

'So will I. But to be fair, that's his word for everything.'

'Oh, thank God he hasn't said our special word yet. And how's Mac? I was gonna go into his room first since it's the first room on this floor but this guy woke up.'

'Mac has never been sweeter. He's helped me around so much, especially with Harry.'

'You've got a pretty great brother, Harry,' Jake told him.

'Very true. He also has something special to tell you.'

'Really? About what?'

'I think he should tell you himself.'

'Fair enough. So, what was it like taking care of two kids for an entire week on your own?'

'Tiring to say the least. But it also made me miss you a million times more, especially because these two look so much like you. Still, always enjoy being with our two boys. I hope they enjoyed spending time with me for a week.'

'How could they not like being with Mommy, the most incredible person in the whole world?'

'Mommy,' Harry whispered as he looked at Amy intently.

Jake and Amy looked at their son with wide eyes.

'Oh, my God,' Jake said slowly.

'That's the first time he's said that,' Amy said slowly with tears forming in her eyes.

'Harry, you finally said said our special word!'

Amy's eyes shifted to her husband now. 'Your special word was "Mommy"?' she asked him fondly.

'Well, special person so special word,' Jake reasoned.

'I love you so much.'

'I love you so much too.'

'Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!' Harry said repeatedly while pointing at Amy.

'I love you so much too, Harry,' she said as she took him in her arms and kissed his cheek repeatedly, making him giggle uncontrollably.

Jake found the scene extremely cute and sweet, something Amy would say later that day when Mac told Jake he wanted to be like him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cam, I have to thank you for the request. It was sooo cute!! I wasn't able to write a whole story based on that one scene but it definitely did give me the idea for this story. I really hope you don't mind that I brought the several additions.
> 
> Please feel free to leave requests if you have any. I'll make sure to work on them.
> 
> Comments and kudos are always lovely to receive, but never ever demanded.
> 
> Thank you!!


	64. First Case Back

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After returning from maternity leave, Amy is worried she's rusty on the field.

**Friday:**

'Now that everyone is here, we can finally start the meeting,' Jake declared as he walked in front of the briefing room.

'Yes, why have you called us for this?' Holt asked curiously or unimpressed. Honestly, who could tell his emotions (except for Kevin)?

'To discuss THIS!' With one fluent motion, Jake removed the cloth that was draping the white board to reveal several charts and pictures pasted together.

'"Amy's First Day Back"?'

'Yes, Monday is Amy's first day back and we need to make it the best first day back ever, which is why we are having this meeting.'

'Is that a binder?' Rosa asked as she pointed to the object on the table.

'Yup.'

'Oh, damn! You really love her, don't you?'

'Indeed I do. Now, the first rule is for everybody to follow - no mentioning anything about babies. She's gonna be thinking and talking about Mac most of time. It's not gonna help if we all add fuel to fire.'

'Agreed, we don't want a repeat of what happened two months back,' Terry commented.

'What happened two months back?' Jake asked confused.

'You just returned from your paternity leave and you were only thinking about Amy and Mac the entire day.'

'What are you talking about? I solved a case on my first day back!'

'Yeah, the case of how you could make home before Mac's third nap time.'

'Without doubt, the coolest case I ever solved,' Jake said proudly and Terry shook his head. 'Now, Captain Holt,' he addressed, 'I will need you to assign Amy on any case she wants to.'

'Please clarify further,' Holt requested.

'Well, if we keep Amy involved in a case, she'll think about Mac less and she'll miss him less. So, you assign her a case, make her the primary, and let her work with anyone she wants.'

'She is a sergeant, she has that authority. This will not be a problem.'

'Great, now, Charles, you cannot do many things. So, let me just sum it down to one sentence - nothing about Mac at all.'

'I knew this was coming and I'm prepared for it, no matter how hard it'll be,' the detective agreed.

'Oh, wow, I thought you were gonna make a scene or something.'

'Nope, anything for my best friend.'

'Okay, well, if you're in such a good mood, I'm also gonna ask you to stop your stories, pictures and videos about Nikolaj.'

'WHAT?' Charles squealed.

'Hey, I think WE ALL can do less with your Nikolaj stories,' Terry commented as he gestured to the whole room.

'Yeah, you too can't talk about your girls, Loot,' Jake told him.

'WHYYYYY?'

'Come on, guys, you know what'll happen. Amy'll get emotional and she'll start missing Mac and... how many times do I need to go over this?'

'Hey, we let you talk about every Mac story!'

'Hey, I'm gonna dial it down too, you know?'

'Fine, but we are gonna bombard you with stories the moment Amy is used to being away from Mac!'

'Fair enough. Now, Hitchcock and Scully, every time Amy comes to the fourth floor, I need you two to be gone.'

'Where do you want us to go?' Scully asked.

'I don't know. Don't you have a secret room somewhere in here?'

'You mean our secret nap room?'

'We can sleep at work!' Hitchcock exclaimed.

'Right, now that everyone knows what to do, meeting adjourned,' declared Jake.

'Wait, what's my role?' Rosa asked.

'Rosa, there is nothing you can do.'

'Oh, what? You think I can't be of any help?' she asked angrily.

'No, that's not the thing. Look, Rosa, you're the only one with whom the ground rule resonates the most. I'm sure you understood everything when I said no mentioning anything about Mac.

'Hmm... true that.'

***

**Monday**

'Hey, man,' Terry said as he walked over to the detective's desk.

'Hey, Terry,' Jake replied.

'So, how's Amy doing on her first day back?'

'Pretty good so far. She's not mentioned anything about missing Mac, which is a good start, but it's only 8:30; we'll have to see how she'll be as the day goes on.'

'Yeah, don't worry about it. I got a new case on my table today. I asked Captain Holt to assign it to her.'

'Why didn't you just assign it to her yourself?'

'Hey, as much as Amy respects me, we all know she'll be ecstatic if the captain assigns a case to her.'

'Damn, Terry! That's pretty good thinking.'

'Thanks, man.'

'Oh, here comes Amy! Quick! Look nonchalant!' Jake whispered quickly and loudly.

'I actually got some work. I'll catch up with you later,' Terry said before leaving.

'Sure,' Jake said with a nod.

'Hey, Jake,' Amy said as she approached her husband.

'Hey, babe. What you got there?' he asked as he pointed to the file in her hand.

'This is a case. Can you believe I got a case on my first day back? And Captain Holt assigned it to me himself!'

'That sounds great!' Jake played along.

'Plus, I'm the primary. So, I can work with anyone that I want.'

'So, you and Rosa getting ready to leave?'

'No, _you_ and I are getting ready to leave. I want to work with you on the case.'

'Wow, really?' this time the question was genuine. He didn't expect her to ask him to join her on the case.

'Of course. We haven't been on a case together for so long, even before maternity leave.'

'Huh.' He was more surprised by her saying 'maternity leave' so smoothly than by her reason for them to work together.

***

Jake was packing up and getting ready to leave for home when he felt a tap on his shoulder.

'Hey, Loot,' he greeted as he turned around.

'Hey. Here's the copy of the file you asked for,' the lieutenant said while handing him the file.

'Thanks, I appreciate it,' he said as he accepted it.

'So, I take it that you didn't get much done at the scene today?'

'No, we didn't,' he said with a sigh.

'Amy got emotional a lot, huh?'

'Very much the opposite. She never mentioned anything about Mac, never got worried or anything. She was REALLY professional, even for her own standards.'

'But that's a good thing, isn't it?'

'I suppose. But I didn't expect her to be alright so quickly. I mean, every parent that I've met told me that it took them at least a week to get used to being away from their baby. Even me. I mean, remember how many times I looked at Mac's photos the first day I got back?'

'Yeah, five hundred.'

'Okay, no need to exaggerate.'

'I'm not. You'd announce that you'd finish going through fifty photos at the end of every hour.'

'Look, the point is, Amy's fine already. And that's great. But I didn't expect her to be fine being away from Mac so soon. I expected her to miss Mac but also be involved in a case.'

'Maybe... but if Amy wasn't a problem, how come you didn't get much work done?'

'Oh, we didn't get enough evidence to go on. We think we might need to go through the file in a peaceful environment.'

'And a house with hyperactive three-month old is peaceful?'

'Hey, our son is the most peaceful baby ever.'

***

'Well, we're in bed, in our PJs, Mac asleep... you know what that means,' Jake suggested.

'Yup, case study!' Amy exclaimed as she reached for the file on her nightstand. 'Right then,' she began, 'Ben Watson stabbed three times in the chest. But no murder weapon found, no other hard evidence to match with the suspects either.' Before she could go any further, she was interrupted by the sharp, ear-piercing wails of their son through the baby monitor.

'I just put him down after fourteen rounds of Disney Sing Alongs,' Jake groaned.

'Yeah, you think you can go get him?'

'Um, sure.' 

'You mind if I go through this file without you.'

'No, go ahead.'

***

Jake planted a kiss on the infant's forehead as he put him back in the crib. It still amazed him how Mac had absolutely no idea about anything or anyone but was such a big part of their lives. He'd always thank Amy for the best gift he ever got. And as lucky as they were for having an amazing baby, Jake knew that Mac was equally lucky to have such a great mom. Being away from him for almost an entire day was something he still missed. But Amy seemed to be fine with it. Or was she just suppressing her feelings? Maybe Jake could try and help Amy feel better about missing Mac.

***

**Thursday**

Amy stabbed at her the fruit she had brought for herself to work. It wasn't that she didn't like fruits. No, she thought they were the best. She was just frustrated. Why? Because the case that she'd been working on for since Monday had absolutely no leads. Nope, not a single one. To make things worse, her partner on the case was frustrated too. He had tried his best to hide it but was there anything Jake could hide from Amy?

'Hey,' Jake said as he entered the break room.

'Hey,' she replied, a small smile on her face as her husband joined her.

'How you feeling?'

'Come on, you know better than to ask a detective how they're feeling when they have no leads after working for a few days.'

'Right, sorry. It's just that this is your first case back and our first case together in so long. I just wanted it to go well.'

'Jake, that's very sweet of you. But we know how cases can sometimes be cold.'

'Yeah, but still.'

'Hey, we've only been on this case for less than a week. Let's remain optimistic, okay?'

'Yeah, I'm sure we can crack. We're the best in the Nine-Nine!'

'Yeah, we are,' she said with a smile before giving him a peck. 

'Hey, how about we talk about something else to get our minds off the case?'

'Sure, what you got in mind?'

'Oh, I think you know - let's talk about Mac!'

'Jake...' she sighed

'No, hey, look at him,' Jake said as he showed her his phone. 'He's so cute!' he exclaimed.

'Jake...'

'Don't you miss him? I miss him so much!'

'Jake, stop!' Amy yelled and this time Jake did put his phone down. 'Remember what we talked about? Being professional and leaving our personal lives away when at work?' she reminded him.

Jake sighed before speaking, 'Yeah, but, Ames, can we not talk about him this one time? I mean, we haven't talked about him at all since you've been back.'

'Yeah, but you have.'

'What?' Jake asked confused.

'You've been bringing up Mac constantly for the past couple of days, Jake! I eat an apple, you remember that he likes applesauce. I'm on my computer, you send me pictures of Mac. I call you "babe", you bring up our baby.'

'You noticed those?'

'And more.'

Jake sighed again before speaking, 'It's just that.... I... I don't know what to tell you, Ames.'

'Jake, I know,' she said sincerely as she reached for his hand and gave it a squeeze.

'Wait, you know?' he asked.

'It's the first time both of us are away from Mac and you're worried how Mac feels.'

'Wha- No, Ames, I - '

'Jake, it's no use denying it now that I know it. Look, it's fine to be worried. It's sweet that your worried about our son. But he's with your mom. He's very safe with her and we both know that. But what worries me is how much your worried about him, Jake. I mean, it's perfectly fine to worry about your kid but he's on your mind twenty four/seven, even when we're on the crime scene. That's not good, Jake.'

'Wait, what are you saying?'

Amy sighed this time before replying, 'I'm saying that maybe you need to stay off the field until you're assured that Mac is fine.'

'No, Ames, no! I am alright. I've been back on the field for nearly two months now.'

'I get that. But I was with Mac at home then. But now you're worried something is happening to Mac because none of us are there with him,' she explained as she got up. 'Trust me, babe, a few days riding the desk and I'll be making sure we can work together on the field,' she said before planting a kiss on his cheek and leaving.

Jake just watched on as his wife left the room. 'Well, that took one hell of a turn,' Jake said to himself while still processing what had just happened.

***

'I mean, can you believe her? She's worried that I'M worried about Mac?' Jake yelled.

'But you are, aren't you?' Rosa asked.

'Yeah, but in the "I wonder what Mac is doing" sort of way, not the "oh, God, I hope Mac isn't falling off a tree" sort of way.'

'Okay, what I don't get is why you broke your own rules.'

'Because I was worried about Amy. She hasn't talked about Mac even once at work. I'm worried she's becoming emotionless.'

'Hey, I make being emotionless pretty cool.'

'Yeah, but that's your thing, not Amy's.'

'You got a point there. But I suspect things are better at home?'

'Well, it's better at home but that's not saying much. I mean, she asks me to go take care of Mac every time he gets up. I have no problem with that at all. But how did she go from rushing to the nursery at three in the morning to being unfazed by his wails in the matter of just over twelve hours?'

'Wait, so she's not spending enough time with Mac at home?'

'Well, it was going to decrease ever since she returned to work but Amy-Mac time is too little than Jake-Mac time.'

'Dude, you know what you gotta do, don't you?'

'I don't wanna reduce Jake-Mac time!'

'No, you idiot! Increase Amy-Mac time!'

'Oh, right! Of course! You know what? I'm gonna go plan something for today!'

***

Amy went around the crime scene for what seemed like the millionth time. Still no leads.

'Mommy?' a small voice called and Amy turned around to find Jake carrying Mac. 'Mommy, it's me! Mac!' Jake said in the small voice while waving his arms. He was sure this was going to put a smile on her face.

'Jake, what the hell are you thinking bringing Mac to a crime scene?' Okay, he may have been wrong.

'I want to be with you, Mommy,' he said in the same voice.

'Stop that adorable voice!' she snapped as she took Mac from Jake and put him on the couch. 'Well?' she asked angrily.

'Amy, what is going on?'

'What?'

'What's happened to you all of a sudden? You used to say how you were going to miss Mac once your leave ended and now you act like you don't have a son!'

'Woah, mister! Are you accusing me of ignoring our son?'

'Yes, especially at work! You've dodged every question about Mac this whole week!'

'Jake, we talked about this.'

'Not just at work, you no longer want to even go for his nightly feeds.'

'Jake, not now.'

'No, we need to talk about this now!'

'Jake - '

'No, Amy, I need to know what's happened to you!'

'Jake, Mac's holding a knife!'

'What?' Jake asked confused and Amy turned him around. In one super quick motion, Jake lunged towards his son and quickly snatched the knife and threw it across the room. Of course, the three month old just laughed at the whole scene.

***

Jake was watching yet another episode of Teletubbies with Mac in his lap. But it was probably the first time he didn't laugh along. He couldn't bring himself to it after what happened today. But then he felt a pair of hands on his shoulder and a couple of kisses on his cheek and he couldn't help but smile.

'Hello to you too, Ames,' he said and he could hear her soft chuckle as she walked around the couch. 'So, what did you find out?' he asked.

'Well,' she began, 'that knife was definitely the murder weapon. It had traces of the victim's blood and also fingerprints... of the victim's not yours or Mac's.'

'Yeah, no, I got that. But where was that knife?'

'Apparently under one of the cushions.'

'But we've searched that apartment thoroughly for three days now. How'd we not find the knife under a cushion?'

'That's what I thought too. But then I looked at the tapes and guess what I found?'

'What?'

'Officer Holcomb entered the apartment five minutes before I did. Once he heard my footsteps, he panicked and hid the knife under the couch and made a run for it through the fire escape.'

'Wow, so a dirty cop, huh? And did you catch him?'

'Oh, yeah, he went straight back to the precinct hoping to look innocent and go unnoticed.'

'That's pretty dumb.'

'Yeah, it is.'

'But, hey, you solved your first case back. That's great!'

'Thanks, but, um, we need to talk about the elephant in the room.'

'Oh, right.'

'I have so many questions about everything you said. So, why don't you just explain every thing calmly from the beginning?' she suggested.

'Okay. So, we had talked about how it would be when you returned back to work. And our friends told you how I was when I first returned. I know it's completely fine to worry about Mac but I didn't want you to worry about him too much. Still, I expected a part of you to be worried about and missing Mac. That's why I made sure everyone would behave themselves and not bring up our son when you were around. But when I saw that you weren't missing Mac, I got worried because it was completely against everything I had read and heard and expected. Even when we returned home, you were distancing you away from Mac. I was so confused and so worried. And then when you took me off the case, I just got really mad. And when I talked to Rosa, she suggested that you spend more time with Mac. That's why I brought him to the scene.'

'Jake, you were right. I did miss Mac. I missed him the moment we got in the car for work. I missed him every second away from him.'

'But then how were you so professional? I mean, don't get me wrong, you are one hell of a pro, but you once said you missed Mac when he was in his play pen and you were brushing your teeth.'

'Because I need to be professional, Jake.'

'What do you mean?'

'You remember how I would secretly look at wedding dresses at work because I was afraid how my officers would judge me?'

'Yeah?'

'It's the same reason. I'm not gonna gain their respect by gushing about my baby boy.'

'Wait, Amy, they judge you on those things?'

'Just a few, two or three maybe.'

'Amy, those people are the biggest idiots. You're a great sergeant. I hate judgments, but if they have to judge you, then they should do it on the basis of you solving cases. You've solved so many amazing cases, you are the best person to work with, and you help so many others even when you're not on the case. Plus, now, you've solved your first case back. That'll show them who's the greatest.'

'Well, to be fair, Mac helped me with it.'

'Even more reason for you to talk about Mac.'

Amy laughed at his half-jokes. God, she loved her husband. 'Thanks, babe,' she said, 'But I owe you an explanation too.'

'Sure, go ahead.'

'I'm sorry I didn't offer to take care of Mac when he woke up from his sleeps. I just wanted to tape you to the bed and go take care of him but I just thought that if I could stay away from Mac at home, I'd be able to handle being away from him at work. Kinda thought that it would be practice.'

'Ames, I have absolutely no problem getting up and taking care of Mac. But I don't want you to distance yourself away from him,' Jake said as he transferred their son to her lap. 'I mean, this is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen,' he said while gesturing at them.

'You are just the sweetest, aren't you?'

'That's the word on the street.'

Amy laughed as they gave each other a peck. 'Also, the only reason I took you off from the case was because you started talking about Mac a lot and I was afraid of missing Mac an all that,' she further explained.

'It's alright. But next time you want to talk about Mac, you just let it all out.'

'Okay. But, um, Jake?'

'Yeah?'

'Please don't ever think that I've become emotionless and no longer love Mac. That will NEVER EVER happen. I'm always gonna love my boys,' she said as she caressed both Mac and Jake's cheeks with one hand each.

'Oh, I won't, I promise,' he said as he pulled her head to rest on her shoulder. 

'Also, no bringing Mac to crime scenes. And that's a rule.'

'You see, Mac,' he said to their son, 'we always follow rules.'

'Well, not always.'

'Oh, my God. Amy Santiago, are you telling me that you've broken rules before?' 

'Yeah, especially when it comes to you.'

'Oh, you mean when we had sex on our first date?'

Amy slapped his arm befor scolding him, 'Jake! There's a baby right here! Plus, I meant the first rule I ever broke for you - you told me I wasn't allowed to fall in love with you on the "best worst date" and that was easily broken actually.'

'I love you so much.'

'I love you so much too. And you know what else i realized today?'

'What?'

'That on our first case together as parents, our son helped us solve the case.'

'Wow, that's pretty incredible.'

Yeah, that was incredible. After all, they were an incredible family. And they'd become even more incredible with two new additions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cheers to 99thprecinct for this suggestion of Mac finding a clue to help solve the case. I was wondering how to go about with it, hope you liked it.
> 
> Please feel free to drop down any requests and suggestions if you have any. 
> 
> Kudos and comments are lovely to receive but never demanded.
> 
> Thank you!!


	65. I'm Terrible at This

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Jake's paternity leave ends, it's just Amy and Mac at home.

Amy hated the cold, even the 'cold' that came along with a light drizzle. Others may have thought that the breeze made the weather cool but Amy was definitely not one of those people. She thought she was in a tundra, which is why she wore a sweater and a pair of socks to bed the previous night and wrapped herself with a thick blanket. She still had those around her today morning but she didn't have the one thing that kept her always warm. Or rather, the one person who always kept her warm - her husband. She frowned as she looked over looked over to the clock on the nightstand. It was just past six, no way was Jake going to wake up this early. Well, there was only one reason why he'd wake up at this time.

***

Jake smiled as he looked at the sleeping baby in the crib. He'd spent a month everyday tending to his every need and he loved every moment of it, including changing the diapers. But today he'd be away from him. He'd be at work, the work he loved. It would be so familiar and yet so different. Maybe for the first time, Jake did not want to solve cases.

'Hey, there,' Amy said as she joined him.

'Good morning,' he replied with a smile.

'Seeing my two boys together? Good morning indeed,' she said before giving him a kiss. 'Was he hungry?' she inquired.

'No, I just woke up on my own.'

'You waking up before seven on your own? What's wrong?'

'Nothing.'

'Jake, you're not fooling me. Does Mac have a fever? Were you worried that I was going to freak out? Because I might panic but not stress out.'

'Isn't that worse?'

'Does he have a fever, Jake?' Amy asked worriedly but also making sure their son didn't wake up.

'No, Ames, Mac's fine. It's just that...'

'What is it?' Amy asked softly as she took his hands in hers and gave them a reassuring squeeze.

'I'm going back to work today. But I just want to stay home with you two. I'm gonna miss you two so much.'

'We'll miss you too, babe. But you have to go. It's your job and you love it.'

'Not as much as I love you two,' he said while planting a kiss on her cheek.

'You're so sweet,' Amy said with a small smile, 'but you need to go back, Jake. We talked about this last night. We can't just stay cooped up in our home forever.'

'And we won't. We'll go to the park.'

'It's so difficult not to just agree with that beautiful plan but I am going to have to shut it down.'

Jake sighed as he looked over the crib again. He ran his fingers through Mac's small, soft brown curls. 'What if he forgets who I am?' he asked softly.

'Jake, you and I both know that's never going to happen,' Amy said as she joined him in looking over their baby.

'How do we know that, Amy? He's just a month old.'

'So? He's a smart baby. He knows who his father is. Jake, you know how much he loves you, even though he can't say the words yet. You make him laugh, you make sure everything is perfect for him. He is NEVER going to forget who his incredible daddy is.'

'Really think so.'

'I know so, babe. Plus, if he cries, I'm gonna show him funny pictures and videos of you.'

'Oh, so you want me to portray me as a clown?' he asked in mock-offence.

'Hey, I thought you said you'd do anything to make Mac laugh.'

'I know, I was just joking,' he reassured her. 'But if I'm being completely honest,' he continued, 'how could he cry when his awesome mother is with him?'

'You just wanna say sweet things and make me miss you even more, don't you?'

'No, I just wanna say sweet and honest things because I love you.' He really wanted to continue this game.

'Stop it!'

'Make me.'

Amy sighed as she took a step forward. She then wrapped her hands around his neck and forced their lips together in one long, extremely deep kiss. 'So?' she asked with a flirty smile after they parted.

'I... um.. that was... WOW!'

'Good. Now we'll see who'll miss whom more.'

***

Amy sighed as she paused the iPad Sure, she loved hearing her son's laugh. But there was only so many nursery rhymes she could take she could take, and that ended an hour ago. She looked down at the infant who was sprawled across her lap on his belly to find that he had raised his head up to look at her. In his own way, Mac was asking his mother why the iPad stopped and she knew understood immediately.

'I know you love these songs, baby, but we've been listening to this for so long but I don't want you to get addicted to it.'

She only got a couple of blinks as a response.

'It's definitely nap for you now,' she said as she re-positioned him so that he was now lying on his back in her lap. 'Now, I'm definitely not gonna sing you a song,' she continued, 'Because you've been listening to those songs for over an hour now and somehow you're still pretty awake. But also because I have no idea how you'll react to me singing other songs. Plus, I've got a pretty bad singing voice. Singing is Daddy's job. My job is to read you books.

'You just wait till you're old enough and I'll take you to the library. That's a place where we get books from. And there are so many books there. You can choose whatever book you want and I'll read it over and over and over again until you're happy.

'Because that's all Daddy and I really want - you to be happy. And we'll do whatever we can to make you happy, sweetie. Because we love you so much.'

Amy bent down to give Mac a kiss on his nose. But the moment she touched his skin, he spit on her face. She flinched as she reached for a towel. 'Whatever happened to just saying, "I love you too, Mommy?'" she joked, earning a little laugh from her son.

***

As Amy bent over the crib, she attempted to put the baby, who was sleeping peacully on her shoulder, in it. But as she did so, she felt a tug on her hair. At first, she thought it was just Mac's grip. But even after she slowly opened his fist, she felt the tug again. She frowned as she inspected further and got her answer - Mac's nails had become slightly long now and her hair hand gotten in between his nails and flesh. Plus, the edges looked particularly sharp enough to scratch the person looking after him or even himself.

So, Amy put him on the changing table as she took out the little kit her brother had sent for Mac. She was amazed at how everything seemed so sift, even the nail cutter. Okay, it wasn't soft but it just felt so much more different than the one she used for her own nails. When she was done with the left hand, she was particularly pleased with herself for doing it without waking him up. 

She then began to work on his right hand. As she was working on his thumb, she heard a small whimper. She turned to look at his face and saw a fine stream of drool trickling down. After wiping it cleanly, she turned back to his thumb to find a tiny red bead at the tip. She furrowed her brows as she attempted to pick it up and inspect it. But the moment her skin touched it, it seemed to melt. 

It wasn't a bead - it was blood. Amy had pierced her precious baby's incredibly soft skin.

She quickly but quietly pressed a ball of cotton over the place and that was it really. So, the cut wasn't deep, that was a relief. So he could be put back in his crib.

Well, the cut wasn't deep for Mac. Amy, on the other hand, thought she felt a machete cut her heart into several pieces. She injured her own baby. This was not something she would ever forgive herself for. She tried convincing herself that it was fine. Mac didn't even wake up. But he did let out a whimper, one which Amy smiled at first because it sounded so cute. But now that whimper seemed like the loudest wail Mac had ever let out. It felt like the worst sound ever. And before Amy knew it, she was openly crying.

***

Amy felt something running over her forehead. She was a light sleeper so she naturally opened her eyes. She smiled as she realized what it was - her baby boy on his belly, facing her and playing with the loose strands of hair that had fallen out of place.

'Hi, sweetie,' she said softly and Mac diverted his eyes from her forehead to her eyes. 'Sleep well?' she asked and he smiled. 'I'll take that as a yes,' she replied as she planted a kiss on his nose. She smiled as Mac again reached for her hair and tried pulling it as hard as he could. But then Amy's smile slowly faded away. No, he wasn't hurting her. It was something else. 'Wait, I was asleep,' she began, 'and you were napping in your crib, which is in the nursery. How'd you get out and come here? You can't even crawl yet!' All she received was a blank stare from Mac. 'Did a bad guy break in and bring you here?' she asked worriedly as she got up and pulled him close to her.

'Yeah, a burglar broke in, saw a sleeping baby in one room and a sleeping mother in another, and decided to put the two of them together,' someone said from the door. 

When Amy turned around, she saw that it was just her husband. 'Oh, thank God, it's just you,' she said as she let out a sigh of relief and put Mac down on the bed, joining next to him.

'You seriously thought a BURGLAR brought Mac to you when you were sleeping?' Jake asked as he joined them.

'Hey, this in New York. You find weird people here,' Amy defended herself with a joke.

'So, Mac tired you out, huh?'

'No, he was a very good boy.'

'Still, you were asleep for quite some time.'

'What's the time?'

'Eight.'

'EIGHT?' she shouted, startling Jake a bit. 'Sorry,' she apologized, 'I just didn't know I was asleep for six hours.'

'Well, I'm not surprised. You've not been awake since I got home.'

'Sorry.'

'That's alright. You needed that rest. Your sleeping's been sporadic at night.'

'True, but I didn't sleep because I was tired. Well, not physically, at least.'

'What do you mean?'

Amy sighed as she realized she had to tell him what happened. 'Look, I did something bad today. I just don't want you to hate me,' she explained, her voice full of fear.

'Ames, I'm not gonna hate you,' he reassured her.

'Okay, well, um, I was putting Mac down in his crib when I noticed that his nails were long. Like, long enough to scratch himself. So, I decided to trim them. The first hand was fine. But then as I was working on his right thumb, I um...'

'What? What happened?'

'I kinda cut him, like, cut his skin,' she said with her voice breaking.

'Wait, so you cut a bit too deep?'

'Yeah, I'm so sorry,' Amy said, unable to hold the tears back in.

Jake immediately pulled his wife into a big hug and stroked her hair soothingly. That always worked and it did yet again. Once Amy seemed to have calmed down, Jake called her softly, 'Hey, Amy?'

'Yeah?' she asked softly, bracing herself for a series of questions and reprimands.

'You ready for dinner?'

'What?' she asked surprised as she pulled apart to look at him.

'I made arroz con pollo. You seemed tired and it's one of your favorites.'

'Wow, you are so amazing,' she said with a smile.

'I know,' he joked along.

'But, wait, you're not mad at me?' 

'No, why?'

'Because of what I said. Have you not been listening to me?'

'Amy, of course I've been listening to you. But there's nothing to be mad about.'

'But I cut Mac.'

'Amy, Mac's gonna cut himself many times in his life. On the playground, with his friends, paper cuts, the list goes on. I know we want our son to be safe, but it's just a cut. We can't protect him from small things like these, they're part of life.'

'I get that. But I'M the one who cut him, Jake. I'm his mother. I'm supposed to keep him safe. And I'm the one who hurt him. Doesn't that make me a bad mother?'

'Absolutely not! Ames, it must have scared you when Mac cried. But it's not like you hurt him on purpose. You were doing what's best for him and you made a tiny mistake. Everyone makes mistakes, even when doing the right thing. Trust me, you are nowhere near being a bad mother because you are definitely the best mother ever.'

'Thanks, babe,' she said before they shared a soft, loving kiss. 'Also, Mac didn't cry. He didn't even wake up,' she informed him.

'Really? Guess he's pretty strong then.'

'Yeah, but I think he hates me.'

'Amy...' Jake groaned.

'No, what you said, I got it and it really helped. But Mac doesn't think like that.'

'Babe, Mac doesn't hate you, trust me. He'd be pretty foolish to hate his amazing mother.'

'Hey, don't call our son "foolish!"'

'No, I didn't mean it that way,' he reassured her and Amy nodded. 'But he doesn't hate you. Look at him,' he said as he pointed at Mac, 'He's trying to climb on to your lap.'

Amy looked down to find that Jake was right. Mac had his two little hands pressed on her thigh, trying to pull himself up. But he obviously wasn't strong enough. 'Aw, come here,' Amy said lovingly and she put him on what Jake said was the comfiest place on earth. And Mac further proved that with a goofy grin he inherited from his father.

'So? Can I see it?' 

'What?' 

'The cut.'

'Oh, um, sure. Check his right thumb.'

Jake bent down and lifted his son's right hand, trying to make out a distinct line. 'I don't see it,' he commented.

'Just look closer. It's more of a piercing than a cut.'

'So, like a dot? Like your ear piercings?'

'Yeah.'

'Uhhhh.... I still don't see it.'

'Wait, let me help you,' Amy said as she gently held Mac's hand to point out the mark. But the moment she saw it, Mac wrapped his hand around her finger, grasping tightly and smiling and laughing as he looked back and forth from the finger up to his mother. 

'Uh... Ames? The piercing?' Jake prompted.

'I can't find it either.'

She really couldn't. Because as she looked down, all she saw was her chubby, adorable son, enjoying her company, and washing her worries away with every single laugh accompanying those deep brown beautiful eyes.


	66. Maturing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After finding one grey hair, Jake has a semi-freak out.

Amy loved preparation. Without preparation, she felt vulnerable. Of course there were times where she'd have to act spontaneous, especially when her partner both at work and in life was Jake Peralta, but she still loved preparing for everything she could. So that obviously included preparing for her lieutenant's exam. But this was probably one of the rare times she didn't want to prepare for the exam. It wasn't that she was tired or anything. But the fact that her two favorite people were in the world were downstairs playing or watching a movie or something else that was fun was very tempting to just abandon her work and join them. 

'Mommy! Mommy!' a two-year old shouted while entering the study room.

'Mac, what are you doing here?' Amy asked as she picked him up and sat him on her lap despite being glad to see him.

'Daddy and I made cupcakes!'

'Really? What kind of cupcakes?' Amy asked intrigued.

'Vanilla because that's your favorite.'

'Aw! Honey, that's so sweet of you!' Amy said as she planted a kiss on his head.

'Come on!' Mac said as he slid off his mother's lap and tried pulling her out of the chair.

'Sweetie, I want to but I can't.'

'Why?'

'Because I have to prepare for the test, remember?'

'But we made cupcakes,' Mac tried to reason.

Amy could make out the pain and disappointment in her son's voice and even more so in his eyes. His big, deep brown beautiful eyes that she could just drown in, which she also believed should never look so sad. Oh, those eyes were definitely her weakness. 'Fine, let's go have some cupcakes!' she declared and Mac readily took her hand to lead her down to the kitchen.

***

'Wow, these are really good!' Amy complimented, already on her third cupcake. 

'Well, we figured you could take a break,' Jake mentioned.

'I really did need one. Thank you so much, both of you.'

'Daddy, look!' Mac called.

'What is it, buddy?' Jake asked.

'The cupcake is on your hair.'

'What? Did you smear my hair with the frosting?' The only response Jake got was a fit of giggles. 'Yeah, that's a definite yes,' Jake said as he got up to rinse his hair.

***

'Mac asleep?' Jake asked he exited the joint bathroom.

'Yeah, all the frosting out?' Amy asked in return.

'Oh, yeah,' he answered as he joined his wife in bed.

'Good. 'Cause I definitely don't want frosting on my hands when I play with these beautiful curls,' she said as she ran her hand through his hair.

'Yeah, but it's still damp,' Jake said as he slowly his eyes, and just sunk into the feeling of Amy playing with his hair.

'Still beautiful,' she reassured him.

'I could just fall asleep like this.'

Without another word, Amy gently guided the two of them down so that she could spoon him from behind while also playing with his hair with one hand. They both loved this and it took no time for either of them to fall asleep, especially Jake. He was already halfway through to dream land when Amy gasped softly.

'What's wrong?' Jake asked.

'You have a grey hair,' Amy replied.

'What?' Jake asked as he turned to face his wife.

'Yeah, you have a grey hair.'

'Are you sure? Maybe it's just a bit of frosting I didn't get off?'

'Pretty sure it's not, 'cause it's a grey hair!' she teased.

'Wait, so I have a grey hair?'

'Yeah! You're getting 'old' and you're 'maturing'!' she continued to tease.

'Uh..... ha ha... I'm old.... ha ha,' he tried playing along.

'Wait, you're not worried or something like that are you?' she asked as she noticed his facial expression.

'No, no,' he said quickly, 'I'm just tired.'

'Oh, okay.'

'Yeah, so, um, goodnight.'

'Goodnight.... oldie,' Amy teased one last time before giving him a peck and switching the lamp off.

'Yup... oldie,' Jake muttered softly before closing his eyes.

** Jake's Thoughts **

**Alright, everything is fine. It's just one grey hair. That doesn't mean anything. Everyone grays as they grow old, right? I mean, look at your own dad. He looks like a downgraded form of Wolf Blitzer. So... you're gonna look like a downgraded version of George Clooney? OH NO! What if you go both GRAY AND BALD?! OH. MY GOD! I really am getting old!!! I mean, how many years do you even have? Nah... you're just overthinking now. No, but, wait. I mean, you have a great wife and an amazing baby boy. You're extra responsible now. Come on, man, you need to have some fun. You know what? You will. Starting tomorrow, you're going back to your old self and being irresponsible.**

***

'Hey, Cap'n?' Jake asked as he knocked the door to his C.O.'s office.

'Peralta, how may I help you?' Holt acknowledged.

'I need a second opinion with something I'm working on.'

'Oh, please, have a seat,' the captain insisted and Jake did as he was requested of. 

'So, here are two pictures of this guy,' Jake began as he slowly opened a file, 'Can you spot a single difference?'

'Detective, these are two pictures of you,' Holt said as a matter of fact.

'I realize that.'

'Peralta, are you sure you don't have anything better to do?' Even though no one could really tell Holt's emotions, Jake was pretty sure he could detect a sense of disbelief in his captain's voice.

'Captain, please, this is really important to me,' Jake pleaded, hoping it would work. And it did, as Holt sighed and observed the two pictures.

'The picture on the left is from approximately ten years back,' Holt pointed out after about a minute.

'What? How did you figure it out?' Jake asked with absolute astonishment.

'You are standing perilously over a cliff in the first picture.'

'So?'

'That is something you would never do now, mainly because you have a wife and a son.'

'So I HAVE become boring!' Jake exclaimed as he collected his materials and left the office, leaving a confused Captain Holt at his desk.

***

Jake was at his desk, angrily closing at the different tabs he'd opened on his computer. He didn't even know why he'd opened them in the first place. 

'Jakey!' Charles exclaimed as he and Rosa approached their friend.

'What is it, Boyle?' Jake asked, his voice full of frustration.

'Holt asked us to check on you.'

'What? Why?'

'Something about playing spot the difference and leaving abruptly,' Rosa explained.

'Okay, look,' Jake said with a sigh, 'Do you guys think I look older than the first time you met me?'

'What? Obviously not, Jake! You looked like a deity and you still do!' Charles answered enthusiastically.

'Really?'

'Oh, yeah! Think about it. Would I ever lie to you?'

'Wow, thanks, man.'

'Anything for my bestie,' Charles said before making his way to his own desk.

Jake too turned back to his monitor. But he still couldn't focus. Mainly because Rosa was glaring at him from over the top. Yeah, her looks could be enough to scare anyone. 'What? What is it?' Jake asked.

'You're seriously gonna take Boyle's word for it?' Rosa asked in return.

'Well, yeah.'

'Charles Boyle's word? The guy sugarcoats LITERALLY everything for you!'

'Oh, right,' Jake said slowly as it finally dawned on him. 'Alright, so, what do you think? You think I look different from the first time we met?' he asked.

'Dude, we've known each other since the academy. Pretty much everything about you's changed since then.'

'Aw, man!' Jake groaned.

'What's the big deal anyway?'

'It's just that I'm getting old and I want to do young, reckless stuff.'

'Then do it.'

'How?'

***

Some days could be long for Amy no matter how much she loved her job. She'd just want to go home. But even going home would mean sitting at her table and preparing for the lieutenant's exam. Only if she could be with her boys right now. Well, at least one of them was approaching her along with her best friend.

'Hey, Jake. Hey, Rosa,' she greeted them as she got up.

'Hey, babe,' Jake greeted back before giving her a peck and Rosa just nodded from behind.

'You two going on a stakeout?' she asked.

'In a manner of speaking.'

'What do you mean?'

'We're meeting some of the guys from the academy to have some drinks,' explained Rosa.

'You're going out drinking now? It's not even five.'

'Yeah, 'cause I'm young and fun!' Jake said excitedly.

'What?' Amy asked confused.

'Anyway,' Jake said, completely ignoring his wife's question, 'I'm gonna be late. Tell Mac I love him. See you later, babe.'

Amy simply sighed as Jake and Rosa left the precinct. Ever since last night, she knew something was bothering him. Maybe going out and meeting old friends would help him relax a bit.

***

'Mommy?' the two-year old called from the top of the kitchen island.

'Yeah, Mac?' Amy asked.

'It's yucky!'

'What?' Amy asked as she turned around to find a green liquid dripping from his face. 'Oh, Mac, I told you not to drink this,' she reminded him as she wiped his face with a paper towel.

'Green looked yummy,' the boy explained simply.

'But it's not. This is for Daddy.'

'Daddy won't like it.'

'Yeah, well, he has to drink it.'

'Why?'

'Um... it's kind of like his medicine.'

'Daddy's sick?' Mac asked softly.

Amy sighed as she pulled a chair to face him eye to eye. It was so sweet to see Mac get worried about his father. 'Daddy's not sick, sweetie,' she said softly as she ran a hand through his curls.

'Then why medicine?'

'Well, Daddy's gonna have little headache today morning because he stayed up past bedtime yesterday.'

'Will he be fine?'

'Of course he will be,' Amy said as she got up to bring him back on the ground. 'Now, you go wake Daddy up and I'll bring him his medicine, okay?' she suggested.

'Okay!' shouted Mac as he ran upstairs as fast as he could.

'Oh, don't speak too loudly though!' Amy called out but Mac was way out of earshot by now.

***

As Amy made her way to the bedroom, she could hear her husband and her son talking about something. She always loved their weird but special conversations. She leaned against the door frame to listen closely.

'Alright, you ready, buddy?' Jake asked.

'Yes, but it's too heavy, Daddy!' the boy complained.

'Come on, you're a strong boy! Use both your hands.'

'But I don't see the white hair now.'

'What? Just search for it around here,' Jake said as he circled a part behind his head.

'Oh, there,' Mac said as he took it in between his two fingers.

'Yup. Now, be a good boy and cut it, alright?'

'JACOB PERALTA, I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!' Amy shouted as she immediately rushed in and picked up their son, snatching the pair of scissors from him.

'Oh, um... h-hey, Ames,' Jake said weakly.

'What the hell were you thinking?!' Amy shouted back immediately.

'Can you maybe not shout so loud?' Jake asked softly as he rubbed his temples.

'Mommy, Daddy let me play with the scissors!' Mac said delightedly.

'What? Mac, don't rat me out!' 

'Alright, Mac,' Amy said as she put him down, 'you go play in your room, alright?'

'Okay, Mommy.' the two-year old agreed before scurrying to his room.

'Now, you and I are going to have a talk,' she said to her husband sternly.

'Okay, about what?' Jake asked.

'About this!' she said while waving the pair of scissors in front of him. 'What were you even thinking?' she asked.

'I just wanted to get rid of that gray hair,' Jake answered without making eye contact.

Jake was clearly going through something and Amy could obviously see that. She just wanted to help him and she had some idea of what was going on. But she needed to hear it from him. 'Babe,' she said while joining him on their bed, 'what's happened ever since I told you that you have a gray hair?'

Jake sighed before turning to face his wife. This was a woman he could tell ANYTHING. Surely this one thing too. 'I'm getting old, Ames,' he answered.

'What? Jake, you're not - '

'Yes, I am!' he interjected, clearly adamant about his belief. 'Look,' he continued, 'I know aging is a part of life. But I didn't expect it to happen so soon. I used to be young and irrational and ridiculous. And that was all fun. I can't do any of that now. And when you were teasing me two nights back, I know it was in all fun, but I got scared. What if you don't like me now? What if Mac doesn't like me?'

'Jake, we're married! And that's for life! I'm not gonna unlike you because you're old! We're SUPPOSED to get old TOGETHER.'

'No, I get that. But what if you're embarrassed to be seen with me outside because of how I look?'

'Jake, that will NEVER happen. I don't care if you have gray hair, or if you go bald, or anything else. All that matters to me is that, when I'm outside, I'm with you. Physical appearance isn't the only thing that matters to me and you know that. I mean, don't get me wrong, you are extremely hot, but you're so much than just that.'

'But what 'bout Mac?'

'Mac's not gonna be embarrassed of you either. Remember how we taught him he's not supposed to judge anyone by how they look? That applies to everyone. He's a good kid. Besides, it was one gray hair, Jake, ONE. That doesn't necessarily mean you're gonna be completely gray.'

'Okay, but I'm still getting old. I mean, how many years do I even have left to be irresponsible and just have fun?'

'Babe, you are not getting old, you're getting older. There's a fine difference between the two. That's what I tried telling you but you just cut me off. But you really shouldn't worry about not being fun because you are by far the most fun person I know.'

'Amy, you don't get it. I mean, have you ever thought about how you can no longer do some things because of the different changes around you?'

'Of course I have! Jake, ever since we've become a family, there are so many things that I've left behind and so many new things I've taken up. Because you've got to move along with time. I've never been that irresponsible and you know that. But you also know that I've been extra responsible since becoming a wife and a mother.'

'And it doesn't bother you that you can't go back to your previous life?'

'Not even for a second. Jake, I'm so lucky and blessed and happy to have you and Mac. Why would I ever want to go back to a time before you two?'

'No, Ames, I'm happy too. Really happy. You know that. But is it wrong for me to now wish to do something I no longer can?'

'No, Jake, it's not wrong. And you can do whatever you want. But it has to be safe. Ten years back, you had no commitment to anyone really. You were carefree. But now you have people who need you, Jake. You've gotta think about them too.'

'Ames, I always think about you and Mac. Trust me, I'm not gonna let any of my decisions affect you two negatively.'

'I know you won't and I'm glad you realized that,' she said with a weak smile.

'So, just to be clear, you had no problem with me coming home drunk last night?'

'Of course not.'

'But getting a haircut from Mac?'

'Is the most stupid thing. Honestly, Jake, giving a two-year old a pair of scissors? They weren't even the blunt ones. For all we know, we could have been in the emergency room right now.'

'Sorry, I just wasn't thinking straight. Guess I'm a bad parent.'

'Nah, you're pretty great. But, yeah, at that moment, it was pretty stupid of you.'

'All is forgiven?' he asked.

'All is forgiven,' she said before sharing a soft kiss just to clear his doubts. But it did get heated slowly and soon the two of them were catching their breaths. 'You know,' Amy said as she composed herself, 'Mac's good with his toys for another twenty minutes or so.'

'What are you saying?'

'I'm saying that the three minutes you got after my sergeant's exam, you're gonna get it again.'

'Oh, yessssss.'

'And since you're so young and sexy, multiply it by five times.'

At that moment, Jake knew that as long a s he was with Amy, she'd always make him feel special no matter what.

And boy did he feel special for the next fifteen minutes!

In fact, he felt so special that he got her pregnant.

But that's a story for another time...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, Klaudia2502, for this request. I think I went for more sweetness than humor but hope you enjoyed it.
> 
> If you all have any suggestions, please drop them down in the comments and I'll try my best.
> 
> Comments and kudos are always appreciated but never demanded.
> 
> Thank you!


	67. Not Everyone Deserves Your Respect

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Running into someone who has done you wrong in the past... Do you forgive and forget or not?

'Harry, what time has Jeremy invited you over?' Amy asked as she bit into her toast.

'5,' he answered.

'5? Won't it already be dark by then?' Jake asked.

'Yeah, so?'

'How are you supposed to conduct science experiments in the dark?'

'Dad, our project is about fluorescence vs phosphorescence. We kinda have to work in the dark for that.'

Jake simply turned to his wife with a quizzical look on his face. 'Alright, Ames,' he began, 'I think we all know that I, for one, have absolutely no idea what the boy is talking about. So, is he right?'

'Of course he is. Harry wouldn't lie,' Amy said before turning to her son. 'But remember,' she warned him, 'you still need to follow all the safety precautions. If you hurt yourself, you've only got yourself to blame.'

'Mom, Mrs. Johnson's gonna be there. She's a science teacher. It's gonna be fine.'

'Good. I'll call her tomorrow morning to see when I can pick you up.'

'Wait, you're staying at Jeremy's overnight?' Mac asked inquisitively. He'd been quiet all breakfast long but now he started to gain some interest at the prospect of his younger brother not being at home overnight. Teenagers, eh?

At the same time, Liz entered their kitchen with an expression of disappointment and unhappiness. 'Good morning,' she said glumly.

'Sweetie, what's wrong?' Amy asked as she turned to her fourteen-year old who was now sitting next to her at the island.

'Clara's leaving,' she said in the same tone.

'Oh, Liz, I'm so sorry. Did she say why?' Jake asked as he rubbed her back soothingly.

'Something about her dad getting promoted and a transfer.'

'Oh, well that's nice.'

'How is it nice? My friend's leaving!' she half shouted, surprising everyone.

'No, sweetie, that part is sad,' Amy said quickly in an attempt to calm her daughter down. 'But it's for the better, you know? Her dad's getting a promotion and their gonna be happy in their new place,' she pointed out.

'I guess,' she said with a halfhearted shrug.

'And you two will still be friends. You'll keep in touch, won't you?'

'Yeah! We promised we would.'

'I know it's difficult to take in but it's all for the best, alright?'

'Okay. Also, she's invited a few of us over for tonight. Kinda like a last slumber party. Can I go?'

'Of course you can. Make sure you have lots of fun!'

'Wait, so, you'll be gone too?' Mac asked again and Liz nodded slowly. 'NOICE!!' he exclaimed loudly, earning glares from four different people. 'What?' he asked simply, completely oblivious of anything else happening.

***

'Thank you, sir. I'm sure he'll be thrilled. We'll see you tonight. Bye,' Amy said before putting her phone down on the coffee table in front.

'So?' Jake asked expectantly.

'He agreed!' she said delightedly. 'God, I hope Mac gets excited for this,' she said softly.

'He will,' Jake said while giving her hand a light reassuring squeeze and the warm smile that she loved so much.

Right on cue, Mac entered the living room. 'Hey, you wanna do a movie night tonight? You know, without brother and sister?' he asked his parents.

'What? Of course not! Movie nights are either for the entire family or for no one!' Jake said immediately.

'Yeah, it's our family activity,' Amy supported her husband.

'Then why are there movie nights with just the two of you?' Mac asked.

'What? We've never had that,' Amy said confused.

'No, I remember clearly. Don't you? It was like ten years back and we walked in on you two asleep on the couch the next morning. And then you told us that you had a movie night the previous night and were to tired to go back up. And you were both feeling so cold that you had the comforter up to your noses.'

'Oh....' both parents said in unison.

'Ames, he CANNOT know what we did on this couch that night,' Jake whispered loudly to his wife.

'Well, we at least cleaned all the cushions thoroughly,' she said to him in the same tone and volume.

'What are you guys talking about?' Mac asked, hoping for an answer.

'We're just saying how movie night and date night are two different things in that only two can watch a movie on date night,' Jake answered calmly and confidently.

'So? No movie night tonight?'

'Afraid not.'

'Actually, we've got something planned,' Amy said excitedly.

'What?' Mac asked.

'Well, you know about Grandpa Holt's dinner parties?'

'Yeah...?'

'Well, he's having one tonight.'

'Wait, so you two are gonna be gone for most of the night too? Oh, I'm the luckiest person on earth!!' he shouted.

'Wait, let me finish!' Amy demanded and Mac nodded and composed himself. 'You're coming with us too!' she said excitedly.

'You're kidding, right?' Mac said in disbelief. 'Mom, I'd rather stay home and watch all five Die Hard movies with Dad with him giving commentaries every second while also reciting all the lines!' he said.

'I don't care, okay. You're being invited to Raymond Holt's dinner party and you're going. No compromises shall be drawn,' Amy said before leaving the room.

Still in disbelief, Mac turned to his father. 'Dad, what was that?' he asked.

'That,' Jake said as he got up and began to leave, 'was what you get for tempting me with Die Hard.' Just before he left the room, he turned around. 'By the way,' he said, 'don't ever tempt your mother with a small bookstore.'

***

'See? Told you it would be fun!' Amy said delightedly to her son who was just a few steps behind her and Jake.

'Okay, no, it wasn't 'fun',' Mac said plainly.

'What? You were in a corner with Iggy the whole night laughing so much.'

'Because Iggy's fun. The party was boring. What kind of "adult party" doesn't let you drink?'

'Hey, just because you're an adult doesn't mean you get to drink. You need to be 21.'

'Also, no drinking for you for another three years,' Jake added.

'Yeah, I got it, Dad,' Mac said with a hint of frustration.

'So... you and Iggy, huh?'

'What? Dad, no! Gross!' he said disgustedly.

'What? What's wrong?'

'Iggy's like a sister to me. You know, the same way Aunt G is to you.'

'Aw, isn't that sweet? He takes up after you!' Amy gushed as she wrapped her arms around one of Jake's and rested her head on his shoulder.

'Besides, I already have a girlfriend. Remember? Rachel?'

'Well, you _say_ she's your girlfriend but we've never met her...'

'What? You've both met her. Just last week I introduced you to her after the game.'

'All you said was, "Mom, this is Rachel. Rachel, this is my Mom. Okay, enough awkwardness, let's go home."'

'So, you do remember.'

'Mac, what I mean is, you don't seem like a couple. You didn't even introduce her to me as your girlfriend when you've been dating for two years.'

'That's 'cause you already knew she's my girlfriend.'

'Why don't you invite her for a dinner party at ours? It'll be fun!'

'Are you just trying to copy Grandpa Holt's every step?'

'Every single day!' Jake chimed in, earning a little swat on his arm from his wife.

'Mom, come on, you know that's not gonna happen.'

'Fine, can't blame me for trying,' Amy said with a bit of dejection.

***

'Mac, come on! Why are you walking so slowly?' Amy urged as she and Jake waited for their son to catch up.

'All that talk about Rachel made me wanna text her,' the eighteen-year old explained.

'Just hurry up. It's freezing!'

'Mom, it's August!'

'Hey, you know your mother hates the cold,' Jake defended Amy.

'How can she hate the cold when it's not present?'

'The boy does make a good point,' Jake said as a matter of fact.

'Besides, I did say that we should have taken a cab.'

'Oh, would you just hurry up?' Amy asked impatiently as she clung on tightly to Jake for warmth. Maybe even trying to get inside his coat.

'Ugh, fine!' Mac groaned as he started to walk fast but at the same time texting Rachel.

'For God's sake, just put the phone away for now! You're gonna get in an accident.'

No sooner had Amy warned him, Mac bumped into an old man standing along the sidewalk and smoking. Neither fell over but the man did drop his cigarette onto the street.

'Ugh... teenagers I tell you... Maybe watch where you're going the next time... Can't even seem to walk alright and they're our future... Our future my ass!' the man mumbled and Mac wasn't sure if it was being direct to him or not.

'Sorry, sir,' he apologized quickly.

'Oh, my God,' Amy said slowly as she got a better view of the man's face.

'Amy, he just bumped into someone. Not a big deal,' Jake said.

'No, not that. It's just that, um... I-I know that guy.'

'Oh, should we go say hi?'

'Uh, I guess.' It came out more as a question because even she didn't know what she wanted to do.

As they made their way to Mac and the man, Amy composed herself. She had not seen this man for so long... and she wasn't sure if she was ready yet.

'Captain Harris,' Amy said as she stood still, as if waiting for an order.

'My God,' the man said slowly as he turned to face her, 'if it isn't Amy Santiago.'

'Sorry about my son,' she said with a weak smile.

'Oh, of course not. It's not a problem,' he said nonchalantly and Mac was surprised to see his mood had changed so quickly. 'Although I must have know,' he continued, 'that such a dashing young boy had to be your son. You still look amazing!'

Jake, who was standing behind his wife, was just as confused. Was this ninety-something year old hitting on his wife? And why the sudden change in tone after seeing her? Whatever it was, he was getting suspicious. So, he cleared his throat in an effort to remind Amy that he was still there.

'Oh, well, you've already met my son, Mac,' Amy said as she lightly pulled him close to her, 'and this is my husband, Jake.'

'Wow, you must be really lucky if you know what I mean,' he said softly while shaking Jake's hand, who grimaced at his comment.

'Jake, Mac, this is Captain Beau Harris. He was my C.O. at the Six-Four.'

'Nice to meet you,' Mac said softly.

'Captain from the Six-Four? Wasn't he the one who...' Jake trailed off, finally realizing who this man really was.

'The one who what?' Harris asked with a slight raise in his voice.

Jake glared at him. They both knew what they were getting at and maybe Jake would have hinted at it if his son weren't there. When he looked at Amy, he could see her pleading with her eyes to let it go. 'The one who helped her become detective from rookie,' Jake said and he could feel Amy let out a silent sigh of relief.

***

'That was so unnecessary, Amy,' Jake said as he slammed the door to their room shut.

'What are you talking about?' Amy asked.

'We din't need to meet him. We could have just waited for Mac to catch up and we could have been asleep by now.'

'Jake, he was my C.O.! I can't just ignore him if I see him somewhere!'

'Amy, he's a terrible man. And you know what? Meeting him wasn't the worst part, you showing him respect was.'

'How can you say that?'

'You heard what he said. That I'm "lucky" in the filthy sense! How can you be alright with that?'

'Obviously, I'm not! You know that!'

'Then why'd you ignore it, Amy?'

'What else could I have done? Punch him?'

'Well, I would have if Mac wasn't there!'

'Jake, there are so many people like that out there. You can't just go punching around everyone who's so sleazy!'

'Well, forgive me for expecting someone to change after serving his term!'

'Jake,' Amy said softly, 'he didn't go to prison.'

'The jury found him not guilty?' Jake asked in disbelief.

'No,' Amy said simply, refusing to look at her husband and just looking down at the floor. It was a familiar pose for Jake, albeit not one he'd seen often. Because it was the pose she took every time she was hiding something. She rarely hid something from him. Most of the time it would be something like a birthday or Father's Day surprise. But right now Jake had a feeling she was hiding something far more serious.

'You didn't file it against him,' he said after a minute of realization. Again, Amy continued staring blankly down at the floor. 'Amy?' he asked softly as he gently tilted her face upwards to meet his eyes. He could see a fine film in both her eyes, showing fright and worry.

'No,' she said again, confirming his worst suspicion.

***

Mac was lying down on his bed, trying to fall asleep somehow. This was definitely not how he had pictured his night going. When he came to know that his brother and sister weren't gonna be around, he was excited. He thought his parents were gonna be on their own doing... unmentionable things. But he'd be alone and free to do whatever he wanted to. Even after he came to know that he'd been invited to the dinner party, he expected his plans to fall into place once they'd return home. But that all changed when he bumped into his mother's old captain. Things just got awkward from then on. His dad seemed pissed off, his mom seemed frustrated. He wanted to know why. But the more he thought about it, the more he got confused... and hungry.

As he was about to make his way back to his room after a large bowl of ice cream, he could hear the faint sound of the television from the living room. It didn't sound like a movie, so he was pretty sure it was either only his dad or only his mom.

'Hey,' he said softly as he sat on one of the individual armchairs.

'Hey,' Jake replied back, still in the serious mood that Mac could remember.

'So... what'cha watchin'?'

'Weather report,' he replied directly.

Mac sat quietly trying to read his father's expression and body language and hopefully figuring out where the night had gone wrong and where. Ah, who was he kidding? He wasn't a detective like his parents. 'Dad?' he called out.

'Yeah?' Jake said, still keeping his eyes fixed on the screen.

'What's wrong?'

Finally, Jake turned his head to face his son. He then turned back to the T.V. before replying, 'Nothing.'

'Come on! You're not mad just 'cause that guy hit on Mom, are you?'

'Okay, it's not just about the hitting on, alright?' Jake said a bit frustrated.

'Then what is it?'

Jake sighed as he muted the T.V. and turned to Mac. 'Alright,' he began, 'that guy we met today - your mom's old captain - is a terrible guy.'

'Dad, I heard the comments he made and they were cringe worthy but aren't you being a bit harsh?'

'Mac, you have no idea what that guy did to your mom.'

'What do you mean?'

'Years ago, when she was a uniformed officer, he made a move on her.'

'Even after - '

'Even after she said no,' Jake completed his sentence.

'Wait, so Mom was... Mom was... God, I can't even say the word...'

'No!' Jake responded quickly, knowing what Mac was getting at. 'She ran away quickly from there and filed in a transfer,' he explained.

'I just... I just can't believe Mom had such an incident. She's the strongest person I know.'

'Yeah,' Jake said with a very tiny smile, 'but you have no idea how difficult it is for women out there, all women.'

'How long was his sentence?' 

'There never was one. Your mother didn't file against.'

'What? Are you serious? After what he did?'

'I know...'

'Why?'

I don't know that. I was under the impression that she already had done it years ago.'

'But she hadn't?'

'Evidently not.'

The two men just sat there quietly, several thoughts swimming through their heads, before Mac spoke again, 'It's really difficult for a woman to live with such a memory, isn't it?'

'God... we definitely can't fathom that fact...'

'So, I guess that's why she didn't file in the report.'

'What?'

'I'm just saying that when she tried filling it in, Mom probably remembered all the events and it probably scared her.'

'Okay, maybe, but the entire squad was there for her. We were gonna make sure she had our support every step of the way.'

'Dad, I get that, but what about others? There were always gonna be people who'd look at her and criticize her actions. She'd want to do this for better, not for pity.'

'Mac, what do you think is the right thing - keeping quiet or taking it to court?'

'Of course I think she should sue this man but, Dad, two years ago, you taught me something - _it's her choice_. Doesn't that apply here too?'

***

'Hey,' Jake said softly as he opened the door to his bedroom to find Amy in their bed, working on her laptop.

'Oh, hey,' she replied softly.

'Mind if I join you?'

'I'd like that,' she said with a weak smile.

After getting under the covers, Jake turned to his wife. 'Listen, I just wanna say something,' he said.

'Oh, sure.'

'I'm sorry for shouting at you earlier. I just... I don't know what to say, Ames. Look, what you went through was so terrible to say the least. It's something that I'll never understand. And I'm proud of you for becoming stronger after it, I really am. I just don't think someone like him should be moving around freely without serving, you know? But it's up to you, alright? I mean, if you wanna raise the charges against him, I'm gonna support you every step of the way But if you don't, I'm not gonna nag you then either. Whatever you wanna do. I just wish women wouldn't have to go through this. And I especially wish my wife wouldn't have to. And my daughter too. I mean, it shouldn't be too much to ask, should it?'

'No, it shouldn't but sadly it is. And you're right, you'll never fully understand. But you at least understand what your role is. Jake, I am so, so proud of you. I'm proud you're my husband and I'm proud you're the father of our children. They've got someone great to look up to and I'll be the proudest mom on earth if our boys are like you. I really wish every guy out there could be more like you. But they can't, like my old captain we met today. And if you make a grievous crime like that, you should be punished. So, tomorrow, I'm sending in the complaint form.'

'You sure? I mean, it wasn't because I shouted at you, was it?'

'No, no! It wasn't because you shouted at me, no. I just thought about it and... if Liz went through something like this, I'd make sure she'd hand in the complaint so... I just hope I'm doing the right thing and setting the right example.'

'You are. We're all gonna be proud of you.'

'Thanks. babe,' Amy said before sharing a small, tender kiss with her husband.

'So, do I have permission to cuddle with you and play with your hair as we sleep?' Jake asked with a smile.

'Yes, you most certainly do,' Amy played along as the two got ready for bed.

And when justice was finally brought, Amy thanked the squad for everything they had done. But she thanked four people even more. Four people that she cared about, four people that were her entire world, four people who were with her every step of the process.

Those four people - Jake, Mac, Harry, and Liz - were her family.

And who knows what would have happened if it weren't for that one late night father-son conversation that Amy is so proud of, even though she was not a part of it physically.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, Peraltiagoxxx, for this request. It was obviously gonna be one of the more serious chapters in this series. Hope it was good enough.
> 
> Please let me know if you have any requests. I absolutely love to know what the readers want and it's an ever better feeling to know that I can deliver it to them.
> 
> Kudos and comments are so highly appreciated but never demanded.
> 
> Thank you!!


	68. Glasses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Two times Jake wears glasses.

**2015 **

When Amy first met Jake, she was appalled to say the least. Appalled of what? Jake Peralta, of course!! Everything Amy was, Jake was the complete opposite. Amy was one hell of an organizer, Jake couldn't even organize files on a computer by just clicking the right buttons. Amy believed in maintaining professionalism at all times, Jake was practically a ten-year old at heart. The list was endless. Perhaps the one thing she had common in him was that they both loved their job. But, as she slowly developed feelings for him, Amy would secretly hope that he would be responsible at times and take care of himself.

A few years later, they started meeting each other even outside of work, romantic stylez (that's right, with a 'z'). And although she'd had a massive crush on him for at least eighteen months now, Amy got to know and appreciate Jake better. There was more to him than the immature self-centered idiot she once perceived him to be. He was kind. He was sweet. He made priorities, the right priorities (not gummies and Die Hard, but instead family and work). If anything, Amy was annoyed at herself for judging this man without fully knowing who he was. Who he was now, was her boyfriend and she could not be more proud and happy to let someone know that Jake Peralta was her boyfriend. Sure, he was still immature and _far_ from responsible. But at least she knew know that if something were to happen to him, he could take care of himself.

Still, that didn't prevent her from worrying this morning when she got a text from him informing her that he couldn't come in because he was sick. He was her boyfriend, the man she loved. She knew he'd be fine, it was just the common cold! But when you love someone, maybe you tend to overthink just because you want everything perfect for them.

She knocked lightly on the door, so as to prevent his head from throbbing even more. Naturally, she had to wait for some time for it to be answered. He said in his texts that it wasn't that bad, but that's how everyone played it off when they were feeling under the weather. For all she knew, all the joints in his body could have been aching. She just had to wait patiently to find out.

When the door finally did open, Amy's eyes went wide with shock. There, standing in front of her, was Jake - hair matted and absolutely wild, eyes red and puffy, long, deep breaths through his mouth, a face full of stubbles, perhaps since the previous day's five o' clock shadow. But what caught her attention the most were the frames on his nose. She knew he needed vision aids, but he used contact lenses like her. This was the first time she saw him wearing glasses and she just could not stop staring.

'Hi,' Jake said in an incredibly raspy voice.

'Oh, hi!' Amy responded quickly, hoping that he didn't catch her staring at him so rudely.

'I'm a mess, aren't I?' he asked a bit sheepishly.

'Yeah,' she said with a weak smile. 'I'm sorry but you look terrible. Like, this is one hell of a cold you have today,' she further explained.

'Gosh, Amy! I thought you were coming over to make me feel better,' he joked, earning a little laugh from his girlfriend.

'Come on, let's try and get you better,' Amy said as she pulled him back into his apartment.

***

'Ohhhh! Now comes the Yippie Ki Yay scene! Alright, so, bascially, ....'

Of course, as usual, Jake had to explain every part of the movie. It just wouldn't be normal if he didn't. Amy was pretty sure she knew his exact words for each commentary rather than the film's lines by now. But it was the very least she could do. Not just because he had a cold, but because he was an incredible boyfriend. Die Hard wasn't her favorite movie but it was something she enjoyed as long as Jake was next to her. But honestly, she loved his commentaries more than the movie. So she just listened to him while looking at him intently. She knew the exact words coming out of his mouth and also the exact order of those words. But for some reason, she just couldn't focus today. No, it wasn't because of his raspy voice or his breathing or any body part or function really. It was because of those big, round glasses, which were perched up so high on the bridge of his nose.

'Amy?' he called, breaking her out of her thoughts.

'What?' she asked.

'You alright?'

'What? Oh, yeah, totally!' she said, before turning back to the movie.

'You sure? I mean, we can watch something other than Die Hard. Or are you worried we're sitting too close?'

'No, Jake, it's okay. Seriously, it's nothing to worry about,' she said before turning back to the screen.

But Jake wasn't buying it. He knew Amy well enough by now to know something was bothering her. 'Come on, Ames,' he urged as he paused the movie, 'What's wrong? You know you can tell me anything you want.'

Amy looked into his eyes, through his glasses, for some time as she let out a sigh. 'Okay,' she began, 'I don't think I've ever seen you wear glasses before. It's just new to me.'

'Oh.'

'Yeah, it's a bit weird, you know?'

'Yeah, uh, I was just sneezing around a lot today so my contacts got pretty blurry what with with my eyes getting all watery. Just thought it'd be better to wear glasses.'

'Right.'

'Is it, um... Is it really that bad?'

'What? No! Who said anything about it being bad?'

'I don't know... You said it was weird so I just presumed it looked bad.'

'Jake, weird doesn't necessarily mean bad. I mean, it was weird for both of us to call each other 'boyfriend' and 'girlfriend' for a couple of days. But that didn't mean bad, did it?'

'So, you don't think I look bad with glasses?'

'Honestly,' she said as she ran a hand through his hair and cupped his face with the other, 'I think you look cute.'

'Wait, seriously?' he asked surprised.

'Oh, yeah. Super cute. If it weren't for your cold, I'd have kissed you by now... several times.'

'Oh, so it's fine to cuddle but not kiss?'

'Hey, just be glad I'm sleeping in the same bed as you are!'

They both laughed at each other before moving closer when Jake said, 'I love you.'

'I love you too.'

And once Jake recovered, Amy made sure he got that kiss (which led to other things they couldn't do when he was sick).

***

** 2028 **

'Mac, sweetie, you can't eat all the Pringles yourself. You've gotta share them with Harry and Liz.'

Ah, movie night. It was a tradition at the Peralta-Santiago household. Okay, they didn't have a fixed day and timing for it, but when it did happen, it was like a tradition. The entire family cuddling together on the couch under one comforter, the kids burying their heads into their parents' arms if the found a part scary, eating whatever junk food they could find, the debate on who could stay next to Mommy and Daddy. It was all something Amy loved very much, including the telling off she gave to each child for not sharing. 

'But I'm hungry!' Mac protested.

'Oh, really?' Amy asked, hoping he would answer more truthfully this time.

'Yes.'

'Well, if you're really that hungry, let's go finish that broccoli you didn't eat today.'

'Ew! No!'

'I knew it,' Amy said as she snatched the bowl and put it back on the table in front. 'What have we said about sharing, Mac?' she asked her eldest.

'That it's caring,' the eight-year old replied softly.

'Exactly. Now, if anyone wants these, you can just reach out on the table. Got it?' Amy asked and she received three slow nods from her three children. But she knew this conversation would repeat itself again by the time the intermission was on when Harry or Liz would snatch the bowl.

As she started the movie, they all got comfortable. But honestly, none of them were fully comfortable. Because Jake was not there with them.

Jake had left for work at six in the morning today. He'd been working his socks off on a case. He'd found so many leads linking to a potential murderer but he'd not found the person. So, when he got an early morning call from the night squad telling him that they'd found a person matching the description, Jake rushed to get to the Nine-Nine. Amy was up by then but the kids had not seen their dad the entire day. And with three super hyperactive kids constantly running around and asking about his whereabouts, Amy was pretty much compelled to start movie night without having Jake.

The four of them were about ten minutes into the movie when they heard a familiar voice say, 'Hey.'

'Daddy!' the three kids exclaimed as they looked up.

'Hey, you look tired,' Amy said softly.

'Don't even get me started...' Jake mumbled as he went to change into something more comfortable.

***

'He got away! How incompetent could that officer have possible been to let him go away?' Jake half shouted from the kitchen island.

'I know, it sucks,' Amy agreed as she put a plate of lasagna in front of him, 'But let's hope your mom's lasagna makes you feel better.'

'Yeah, let's hope,' he said softly as he started his dinner. 'It's just that... we've worked on this case for three days straight, we finally get a suspect, and we blow it in the first hour we try to make the arrest. And then we work for more that twelve hours hoping to track him down,' Jake continued venting.

'I know but we both know how these things go down sometimes.'

'I just really wanted to end this case today. I'd not even seen my kids today, I left just a few minutes after you woke up, my body aches, I've got a headache, and I'm pretty sure my contacts have dried out from staring at a computer screen for nearly ten hours straight. I couldn't even figure out what movie you guys were watching!'

'That bad, huh?'

'Yeah... I just wanna get through dinner and sleep. Sorry that I can't join you all for movie night. I'm just done with today.'

'Hey, no, you don't need to apologize for that. You need the rest.'

'Thanks. Although it must have been tough for you dealing with those three alone after a day's work.'

'Jake, taking care of kids is something I don't think any parent should complain about. Yeah, it was tiring. A LOT. But I still love being with them.'

'You're just the best,' he said with a small smile before giving her a peck.

Just then, Amy's phone started ringing and she answered it, 'Hello? Yes, this is Captain Santiago speaking... Are you serious? Okay,,, Well, um, I'll see what I can do.... Thank you.'

'Who was that?' Jake asked as she put her phone down.

'Oh, that was the night squad. They caught that robber we were after so they asked if I'd like to come down for the interrogation because we've been after her for a week.'

'What? Why aren't you going then?'

'I mean, you're tired and the kids might be watching a movie right now. Who knows how long I'll be gone? They'll tire you even more.'

'Ames, we both know that's not a reason to put work aside. Go down to your precinct and make the arrest. I'll pretend to join them for movie night but I'll actually be sleeping! That way, everyone wins.'

'You sure?' she asked skeptically.

'Yes, I'm sure.'

***

Amy silently groaned as she opened the door to her house. The arrest and confession was a success. She was just worried about her husband. He was already so tired, she didn't even need to imagine what their kids added to that. He did convince her to go down to her precinct and he did assure her that everything would be fine. And even though she was only gone for fifteen minutes, she still worried about him.

The living room was dark and quiet, which meant movie night had ended prematurely. That's when the concerns came back again. So they decided to end movie night and do something more physical? Poor Jake.

As she made her way upstairs, there was a single light shining outside the hallway, but it was coming from their room. The kids' rooms were dark and quiet. So she presumed Jake was still up, maybe waiting for her. But as she moved closer towards her room, she could hear her husband's voice. Was he on the phone or something? But as she listened closely, the words seemed familiar to her. He wasn't speaking, he was reading one of their children's favorite books. She just had to take a peak inside and she had to try her best to not melt into a puddle right there.

Jake was leaning against the headboard, Liz on his lap, and their boys on either side, all trying to get as close to Daddy as they could. They were all leaning into him, eyes closed, definitely asleep by now thanks to the calm and sweet voice that read them the story. The absolute cherry on top was Jake wearing a pair of his glasses since his contacts had dried out. The scene would have been cute anyway, but the glasses probably made them a hundred times cuter.

'Hey,' Amy said extremely softly, too scared to wake up any of the three adorable kids.

'Hey,' Jake whispered back as he put the book aside. 'How'd it go? Was everything alright?' he asked.

'Oh, yeah, but this is much, much better,' Amy said as she sat next to him.

'Yeah? They mentioned this book in the movie and all three of them immediately urged me to read it to them. Especially, this one,' Jake said as he softly ran a finger down Harry's face but it was enough for the five-year old to let out a little whimper and Amy quickly but soothingly rubbed his back to make sure everything was alright.

'He really loves books,' she remarked with a smile.

'Wow, Amy Santiago's son loves books? Who'd have thunk?' Jake joked and Amy laughed softly.

'Listen, I know you convinced me to go to the precinct but I know how tired you were and still are. Reading for you's always a big task, let alone when you're feeling drowsy.'

'Amy, if I may quote the best and the greatest person I know, "Taking care of kids is something I don't think any parent should complain about. Yeah, it was tiring. A LOT. But I still love being with them."' Amy gave him a look of pure admiration and joy as she kissed him softly so as not to disturb the other three. 'Besides,' Jake said after the broke apart, 'you know my reading skills are poor. So, I also get practice when I read to them.'

'I love you so much.'

'Love you so much too.'

'So, you want me to put them in their own beds?'

'Actually, I'm pretty comfy here. I think it's alright if they can just sleep here tonight.'

Mac, Harry, and Liz didn't get a 'good morning' from their father that day and they also didn't get a 'good night' from their mother that night. But sleeping in the same bed as a family _definitely_ made up for that, especially since they got a bunch of morning kisses and tickles from Jake and Amy the next morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Klaudia2502, thank you for this request! I realized that I'd not written a story where Jake's wearing glasses and you also said you wanted more of the duo. So, I put two mini-stories into one. Hope you enjoyed reading them as much as I did writing.
> 
> Comments and kudos are so very appreciated but never demanded.
> 
> Please feel free to leave requests too if you have any.
> 
> Thank you!!


	69. A Makeover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When her three-year old asks for a makeover, Amy is stunned.

'Mommy, it hurts!' Mac cried as he clung tightly onto Amy as if holding for dear life.

'Sh... Mac, it's alright,' Amy cooed as she rubbed his back in an effort to calm him down. It hurt her to see her baby boy in so much pain. But there really was nothing she or the other three people around them could do other than try and comfort him. 'Harry, Liz, what happened?' she asked her other two kids.

'We were eating the candy Daddy gave us and Mac started crying,' Harry explained even though the fear was evident in his eyes and voice. Liz too was just nodding slowly, too scared to say anything.

'Wait, so he ate the candy and cried?' Jake asked for confirmation and the two of them nodded again. 'Well, that's weird,' he remarked.

'Not entirely,' Amy said after processing what her four-year old had told her.

'What do you mean?'

'Mac, sweetie, hey, look at me,' Amy encouraged softly and the boy slowly pulled apart just to face his mother. 'Did you bite into the candy?' she asked and Mac's only response was a silent nod.

'But it was a candy bar. Those aren't that hard,' Jake informed.

'Open your mouth, sweetie,' she urged and Mac did as he was told. 'Oh, wow,' she remarked as she inspected inside. 'You've got a massive cavity!' she exclaimed with surprise and worry. 

'What's a cavity?' inquired Liz as both she and Harry looked to their father for an answer.

'A cavity is when germs attack your teeth if you don't brush,' he answered.

'Mac, do you not brush?' Amy asked, her voice both stern and worried.

'Um... I brush... sometimes...' he said weakly, knowing he was in trouble.

'What? Mac, you were such a good boy last year and we let you brush on your own! But you weren't brushing?'

'Brushing's boring!' he tried defending himself.

'Well, now look what happened.'

'Sorry, Mommy,' he said softly, realizing his mistake.

'It's alright. But you'll start brushing properly now and Daddy and I'll be there to check.'

'Then the cavity will go?' he asked hopefully.

'Uh, probably not. It's too big. You'll have to go to the dentist as soon as possible. I'm gonna go call Dr. Jones to see when she's free.'

***

'Thank you so much, doctor. I really hope this didn't disrupt your plans... Again, thank you for meeting with us on such a short notice... Bye.'

Just as Amy ended the call with the dentist, an extremely sharp squeal of 'MOMMYYYYYY!' rang through the house and she immediately rushed downstairs.

***

As she entered the living room, she froze at the sight of what was, quite literally, a bloodbath. Mac and Harry were glaring angrily at each other with teary eyes while also trying to regain their breaths from what Amy assumed was a fight, and a gruesome one at that. She could see a Mac's hand red with blood and a fine stream of blood dripping down Harry's mouth. She really didn't know if it was Mac who punched his little brother or Harry who bit his elder brother. Either way, this was not a pretty situation.

Meanwhile, her daughter immediately rushed to her once she saw her and clung onto her as if trying to say that she was done with all the chaos today. Amy immediately picked her up and placed her on her hip and Liz wrapped her arms around her mother.

'What the hell happened here?!' she asked her two boys

'I was eating the candy and Mac punched me!' Harry started.

'Because I asked him to share but he didn't!' Mac accused now.

'Because you can't eat candy because of your cavity!'

'You bit me!'

'You punched me!'

'ENOUGH!' Amy shouted and the room was filled with silence. 'It's one thing for you two to fight but you scared your sister!' she told them off, Liz further proving her mother's point by burying her face into the crook of her neck.

'Oh, my God! What just happened in here?' Jake asked as he entered the room.

'The boys got into a fight,' she said, not wanting to dive further in to other details at the moment. 'And where were you?' she asked, slightly annoyed that her husband wasn't there to prevent the whole scene.

'Mom called to confirm about tomorrow,' he explained. 'Liz alright?' he asked after noticing how tightly their daughter was holding onto Amy. 

'Yeah, I think she's just overwhelmed with what happened over the past few minutes. Can you get the boys to bed? I think she's ready to call it a day.'

'Yeah, of course,' Jake said before planting a kiss on his daughter's temple and letting his two girls go.

'Oh, by the way,' Amy said as she turned around at the door, 'Mac's got an appointment with the dentist tomorrow.'

'What? But tomorrow's Thanksgiving at Grandma and Grandpa's!' Mac shouted in exasperation while wiping his hand with the paper towel Jake had handed to him

'Yeah, well, first we're going to the dentist.'

'Um... Ames?' Jake called out with a slight shake in his voice as he wiped Harry's mouth.

'Too late to cancel now Jake,' she said with frustration.

'No, not cancel... I think we need to add another appointment,' he said as a matter of fact.

'What?'

'Harry's now got a chipped tooth.'

'Oh, my God! Really?' Amy asked with full frustration, not even trying to hide it anymore.

'Yeah... It's at the back... And inside... But I think we should let Dr. Jones have a look.'

'Fine, I guess we can ask her to have a look after she's done with Mac tomorrow.'

***

'You alright, baby?' Amy asked her daughter while tucking her into her bed.

'It was scary, Mommy. There was blood everywhere,' she answered softly.

'I know, but it's fine, okay? It was just a fight between Mac and Harry.'

'Does it really hurt?'

'What?' Amy asked as she crouched beside the bed to meet her daughter's eyes.

'The cavity.'

'Oh, it hurts a lot. That's why we brush.'

'Why didn't Mac brush then?'

'Don't know. He said it was boring.'

'I like it when you brush my teeth,' she said as a matter of fact, 'It tickles.'

'That's so cute,' Amy said with a smile before planting a kiss on her head. 'Now, sleep, alright? You've got a big day tomorrow,' she said as she got up.

'Mommy?' Liz called out again.

'Yes, baby?' 

'Are we going to the dentist tomorrow?' she asked softly.

'Yeah.'

'Mommy, I don't want to go,' she said a bit more loudly.

'What?' Amy asked as she sat next to her daughter.

'The dentist is scary! And there are weird and loud noises!' Liz said with absolute terror, clearly terrified by the prospect of going to the dentist.

'Oh, Liz,' Amy cooed as she rubbed her back soothingly, 'It's going to be fine. The dentist is just gonna look at Mac and Harry, not you.'

'No, no, no!' Liz shouted as he grabbed her mother's hand and pulled it close to her chest. 'I don't want to go, Mommy. Please! I don't want to go!' she pleaded and wailed, crying openly at this point.

'Oh, uh, okay,' Amy said softly as she pulled her daughter onto her lap. 'You won't go then,' she said a little more clearly as she rubbed the back of the girl who was holding onto her tightly for the umpteenth time that night. Any other day, she would have convinced Liz that the dentist wasn't all that bad and would probably take her the next day. But the little girl had seen so much today, Amy just wanted to calm her down however possible.

***

'Daddy, cookie!' Harry requested as he tried opening the box.

'Here you go, buddy,' Jake said as he opened the box and gave it back to his son.

'Absolutely not!' Amy interfered immediately as she snatched the box and put it away.

'Ames, Harry's not the one with the tooth decay,' Jake reminded after he felt his wife had seemingly got confused.

'I know that. But he just brushed and he's going to the dentist. How's it gonna look when he's on the chair and the doctor sees chocolate chips stuck between his teeth?'

'Mommy, please?' Harry requested.

'No, Harry, not today,' she said directly. 'Mac,' she called to her son who was on the couch, 'go sit in the car with Harry.'

Without any resistance, Mac promptly obeyed as he and his younger brother left the room.

Amy plopped back onto the couch and picked up the book on the coffee table, continuing from where she had left off. Her facial expression showed determination rather than the usual curiosity that came whenever she read books. She was flipping pages in a huff, not giving an ounce of thought to tears and paper cuts. All of this was being observed by Jake.

'You okay?' he asked.

'Huh? What? Yeah, I'm good,' she answered quickly.

'Come on, Ames. You're not fooling me.'

'What do you want me to say, Jake?' she asked furiously as she slammed her book shut, 'That I'm fine with Mac having a massive rotten tooth? That it's totally normal for our boys to be fighting like barbarians? That it's a great thing they downright terrifies their sister? That we are such a normal family for going to the dentist on Thanksgiving? That we're such a great family that two of us are gonna reach your parents' earlier than the three of you?'

'Amy,' Jake said softly as he sat beside her, 'come here.' 

Before Amy knew it, she was enveloped in a massive hug, a hug that always comforted her simply because it was Jake's hugs. She loved this man so much for so many things, definitely including his hugs.

'Sorry,' she said after she calmed down, 'I just wanted everything to be perfect.'

'Why are you sorry then? Everything _is_ perfect.'

'Jake, you don't need to make things up to make me happy,' she said after they pulled apart.

'Here, let me ask you this: was our wedding perfect?'

'What?' she asked surprised.

'Was our wedding perfect?' he repeated.

'Of course it was.'

'And our honeymoon?'

'Without doubt,' she said with a smile, remembering the special week.

'What about giving birth to Mac?'

'Oh, my God. The best thing ever.'

'See?' he asked with a smile, 'Those were all perfect, and that's considering we had a bomb at our wedding, excluding your butt, our depressed boss crashing our honeymoon, and giving birth to our first child in the precinct with the help of a fireman, which I nearly missed. Something was bound to go wrong on Thanksgiving, don'y you think? But we're together. Babe, as long as it's me and you and Mac and Harry and Liz, everything will be perfect.'

'I love you so much.'

'I love you so much too,' Jake said before they shared a kiss, their first of the day and very late considering how often they kissed each other. 'And, hey, you're still gonna be home with Liz for a couple of hours. That's gonna be fun right?' he asked once they separated.

'Yeah, of course it'll be.'

'See you at 11:30 then,' Jake said before giving her one final goodbye kiss. But just as he was about to leave, he turned around at the door and said, 'Oh, and if you really want the five of us to go to my parents' together, I'll give you a call once we're done and we can reach at the same time.'

'I love you so friggin' much!'

***

'Mommy, I finished drawing!' Liz exclaimed excitedly from the coffee table.

'Really? Can I see?' her mother asked excitedly.

Liz, ever the obedient child, promptly gave the sheet of paper to Amy while standing proudly and looking at her expression. Amy herself was proud of her daughter's creativity. The drawing she had made were nothing more than six people with round bodies and round faces but, in Amy's eyes, they were masterpieces.

'Do you like it?' Liz asked curiously.

'I love it,' Amy said with a smile. 'Is that Grandma and Grandpa?' she asked just to be sure.

'Yeah, and Abuelo and Abuela!'

'Aw, and who're the two people in the middle?'

'That's you and Daddy,' Liz said as a matter of fact.

'Ohhhhh,' Amy said as she finally saw it. Well, actually as she finally saw Jake. The furious curls her daughter had made for that particular person could only be Jake. Herself, on the other hand, she still couldn't see it. Her hair wasn't that short. What on earth was going through Liz's creative little mind?

'Do you not like it?' 

'What? Sweetie, I love it!'

'But you didn't know it was you.'

'Well, that's 'cause you made Mommy extra pretty.'

'Really?' Liz asked.

'Yeah,' confirmed Amy, really trying to sell her case. 'But why'd you make my hair so short?' she asked.

'Because it was short in the photo.'

'What photo?'

'This,' Liz said as she picked up a small frame from the coffee table and handed it to her mother. And Amy understood immediately. 

It was the photograph of Amy and Jake and their parents when they'd all met for Thanksgiving all those years ago, when she and Jake were engaged. Her ring was shining in the picture too. But it answered her question as to why Liz had made her hair so short. It just reached her shoulders back then, far shorter than the hair that was down to her back now.

'You looked pretty, Mommy.'

'Aw, thank you, baby,' Amy said before planting a kiss on her head.

'Why was your hair short?'

'Oh, I just wanted to cut my hair short.'

'Mommy, can you cut my hair short?'

'What?' Amy asked, not completely sure if she heard her daughter correctly.

'I wanna look pretty like you!'

'Liz, you're so sweet but I don't think - '

'Please?' she begged making the saddest puppy eyes she could.

'Um, I'm gonna do something. Till then why don't you do.... something?' Amy suggested as she rushed out of the room so as to prevent herself from giving in so easily.

***

_Pro: Liz would look cute._

_Con: Her hair is so long and soft. Why would you wanna cut it?_

_Pro: She's gonna cut her hair some day anyway. Might as well be today._

_Con: But she's far too young to be asking for a haircut._

_Pro: At least you're not gonna mess up cutting your own daughter's hair._

_Con: You have no idea how Jake feels about this._

After going through her list for what seemed to be the hundredth time, Amy sighed in frustration as she crumpled the page and threw it into the bin. She glanced at the clock in her room and noticed that they still had over an hour before they had to leave - enough time to give Liz a haircut, a bath and get her ready as well as herself. But she still couldn't make up her mind.

It wasn't that she was against girls having short hair or some sort of haircut. She just wasn't sure if giving Liz a haircut would be a form of caving in and Liz would see it as a way that she could get her way all the time, especially around her mother, who she was so attached to. But Liz was a good kid, a very, very good kid. Maybe giving her a haircut wouldn't be so bad.

Still, Amy just felt the need to ask someone about it.

***

'Seriously, Ames, you're asking me about this?'

'Who else was I gonna ask?'

'Off the top of my head - Jake.'

'It's not that I don't wanna ask him. But what if he says no and I can't give Liz the haircut and she becomes sad? Besides, I thought you were the queen of fashion or something.'

'Hey, Gina Linetti is the Queen of Everything!'

'Whatever, Gina. I just wanna know what you think I should do. I mean, it would be cute, right?'

'Amy, Liz is a beautiful girl. And she's three. She looks cute in everything.'

'So, it's fine if I go ahead?'

'Hell, yeah! But I warn you, if you mess up my precious niece's hair, I will kill you.'

'Don't you think I'll be more concerned about messing up my own daughter's hair?'

'Hey, you wore pantsuits to work for a million years. DULL, GREY PANTSUITS. I'm afraid you're gonna give her a professional haircut, something a three-year old should totally not have.'

'Hey, Jake likes those pantsuits! _Really_ likes them. Sometimes, we pretend that he's my captain and I'm his detective and - '

'TMI, AMY! T. M. I!!!'

'Right, sorry.'

'JUST GIVE LIZ A GODDAMN HAIRCUT AND NEVER TALK TO ME ABOUT PANTSUITS AGAIN!!!'

***

'Hey, Amy,' Karen greeted as she opened the door and gave her daughter-in-law a hug.

'Hi, Karen,' Amy said warmly, reciprocating immediately. 'Happy Thanksgiving!' she wished.

'Yeah, Happy Thanksgiving, Grandma!' Liz exclaimed excitedly, still waiting for her hug.

'Wow,' Karen said in full astonishment. 'Liz, you look so beautiful! Who cut your hair so perfectly?' she asked as he picked up her granddaughter.

'Mommy, did!' Liz said while pointing to Amy.

'Wow, this really is incredible, Amy. I'm impressed.'

'Thanks, Karen,' Amy said, incredibly proud of herself.

'So, where are the boys?'

Almost immediately, Amy's eyes went wide as she finally remembered that she forgot to call Jake to inform him that she and Liz were reaching the Peralta's earlier than planned.

***

'Yeah, we just arrived here... Well, that's good to hear.... Are they being fussy? Yeah, we can't wait till you guys come either.... Oh, by the way, I have a surprise for you... Well, you're just gonna have to be patient... Bye, love you too!'

After ending the call, Amy turned her attention towards her daughter again, who was now watching Sesame Street with Roger. She couldn't believe how nervous she was about giving Liz a haircut. But it turned out fine. Actually, it turned out better than just fine - it was great! Liz looked so much cuter now with the little bob Amy had given her, something she never could have thought was possible. But it was. And now, Liz was the most beautiful girl in the world.

'So?' Karen asked after some time, 'What's the surprise?'

'What?' Amy asked, just as she was brought out of her thoughts.

'You told Jake over the phone that you had a surprise for him. Sorry for overhearing.'

'Oh, that's fine. Yeah, the surprise is Liz.'

'Liz?' 

'Yeah, you know, since she got a haircut.'

'Wait, so you didn't discuss this with Jake beforehand?'

'Um, no. See, what happened was, Liz saw a frame of the Thanksgiving you met my parents. And my hair was short back then, so she wanted short hair too. But I went shorter, I think she looks cute in a bob.'

'Amy, that's a cute story, and Liz does look really cute. But I kinda think you should have talked to Jake about this before you went ahead with it. I mean, this is kinda big, right?'

'Yeah, I guess... Wait, so you think he'll get mad at me for not talking about this?'

'Oh, no, no, I didn't mean that! I just think that it's something you should discuss on even if it's something really good.'

***

'Mommy, I'm not sleepy,' Liz protested as she looked up at her mother from the bed.

'Sweetie, if you keep on talking, of course you'll not be able to sleep,' Amy tried reasoning.

'But why now?'

'Because it's nap time.'

That could not be any more far from the truth. Amy actually wanted Liz to be asleep so that Jake wouldn't meet her immediately when he arrived with Mac and Harry. Karen had meant well, but now those thoughts were twisting like an eel in a pool of brine. What if Jake didn't like it? What if he'd be mad at her? What if he'd be mad at them?

Amy was brought out of her thoughts yet again. This time by the sound of the doorbell. And, before she knew it, much to her horror, Liz ran quickly to the front door shouting, 'Daddy's here!'

***

As Amy sheepishly walked into the living room, she could here her husband and her daughter conversing.

'And who cut your hair?'

'Mommy did.'

'Do you like it?'

'I love it, Daddy!'

Amy knew that Liz was going to ask the same question back, so she stepped in before it could happen. 'Hey,' she said softly as she walked over to them on the couch.

'Hey,' Jake replied in his normal way, making Amy breathe slightly easily. 'Liz, why don't you go play with your brothers? Mommy and I need to talk,' he said, and Liz ran to the other room. 'Come on, sit down,' he encouraged his wife softly.

As Amy sat beside him, she got more and more nervous, he looked serious but this was one of those rare times where Amy could fully read her husband.

'So? What's wrong?' she started.

'What's wrong? Amy, it's a pretty bad case.'

'You really don't like it?' she asked, her voice full of disappointment and sadness.

'What? Who on earth likes a cavity?'

'Wait, what?'

'It's a rotten tooth! What's there to like?'

'But I thought... Wait.... So... So, you like the haircut I gave Liz?'

'Can we talk about the more important thing now? Our healthcare doesn't even cover all of it.'

'Oh, screw the cavity and tooth decay!' Amy said excitedly as she hugged Jake tightly, not wanting to let go anytime soon.

Jake knew this wasn't normal. Sure, he and Amy hugged a lot. But this was different. She wasn't just hugging him, she was clinging onto him too. 'Ames,' he said softly, 'Is everything alright?'

'Now it is,' she said as she pulled apart to reveal a wide smile plastered on her face. 'I was just worried you wouldn't like the haircut I gave Liz,' she finally opened up.

'You mean the haircut that makes her look like a princess? Amy, why would I hate that?'

'I don't know... I was talking to your mom and she said how this is kinda a big deal and that you and I should have talked first.'

'Amy, Liz is our daughter. And you're an amazing mother. Whatever you do for Liz, I know that you only mean well. I'm not gonna get mad at you for that.'

'But this could have gone wrong.'

'Babe,' Jake said as he looked deep into her eyes, 'nothing can ever go wrong with our kids as long as they're with you.'

How did those words come out of his mouth? How was he capable of making her feel sooo special every single moment together? How was he just so incredible? Before Amy knew it, she was tearing up at her husband's beautiful words and, just to say thank you, she kissed him, soft, long, and sweet. 

'You have no idea how much I love you,' Amy said once they parted, foreheads still pressing.

'Neither do you,' Jake replied before they both leaned in for another kiss.

'YUCKY!' three kids shouted together, and the parents had to separate abruptly and awkwardly.

'FYI,' Jake said as he turned to Amy, 'neither do they.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos to Firerocket123456 for this idea. Although, I must admit, I changed the plot A LOT but the basic outline was the same as to what Amy and Liz would do together. Hope that's fine by you. Also, in a long time, I had no idea how to end a chapter. I mean, I'm happy with how it's concluded but... I don't know... feel like something more could be done to make it even better. Sorry if the ending didn't satisfy you lol.
> 
> If you have any requests, please feel free to drop them down in the comments.
> 
> Kudos and comments are adored but never demanded.
> 
> Thank you!!


	70. At the End of the Darkness, There is Light

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A story seems to finally calm down three adorable kids.

As another thunder erupts, I turn in my bed, this time facing my husband. It doesn't help that the heavy rains are making my 'Santiago temperature scale' (as Jake so eloquently puts it) go off the charts and make me feel terribly cold. Add to that the loud thunders and I'm definitely awake in bed. With the light from another lightning briefly but brightly illuminating our room, I turn again, this time to face my husband. Unsurprisingly, he's very much asleep.

The fact that Jake can sleep through the night peacefully under any circumstances slightly amuses me. All those years back when we were first dating, I found out that he would never budge from his sleep no matter how many alarms set off at any hour. To be honest, I had been more afraid of being late to work than Jake's auditory system not working, which was thankfully not the case. Sleep was just Jake's friend, his semi-conscious friend. There is no way Jake will ever give up his sleep and that's perfectly fine with me, because _he_ is perfect.

I smile as I hear a gentle sigh escape his lips when I run a hand through his hair. It's something we both love - my fingers getting lightly tangled in his beautiful curls and Jake just loves the feeling of my hand roaming through his hair. He may be asleep, but his body was very much familiar with my touches. As such, I'm pulled closer to him by his free hand, which makes me smile against his chest, where my head is now resting.

I look outside the window as another thunder roars, and slightly frown. The weather report did say that there would be heavy rains accompanied by thunders. I just didn't expect them to be occurring at such short intervals. Because three residents of the same house absolutely hate loud, rainy nights. And before I know it, I could here the soft pitter-patter of three sets of feet walking down the hallway, trying to make sure their parents aren't woken up.

'Mac?' Jake calls out softly.

Of course, there is only one thing that could wake Jake up immediately - our children. So, maybe, technically there were three things that wake him up immediately.

'Yes?' Mac answers softly as well, thinking that I'm still asleep and not wanting to wake me up.

As my husband and I get up and sit up straight, yet another thunder roars and I can hear a small but sharp shout of surprise, and not the good kind. I'm not entirely sure if it's Harry or Liz because they're just a year apart. But, after turning on my bedside lamp, which just about brightens the entire room, I'm pretty sure it was Liz because she's trying to hide behind our younger son.

'Sweetie, it's just thunder,' I try reassuring her.

'But it's scary!' she replies in a quick, hushed tone, as if trying to warn me about it.

'And it's loud!' Harry chimes in a bit louder, but he's just as scared.

'Well, do you want to sleep with Daddy and me?' I ask, although I'm pretty sure what their answer is gonna be.

Actually, they don't even answer me. Without a moment's hesitation, Mac, Harry, and Liz are climbing onto our bed and getting all comfy under the covers. I shared a look with my husband and laugh softly as we see them try and decide who gets to sleep where. As usual, I try and recommend all three of them to sleep together in between us. But these are stubborn kids, it's either their own ways or the highway. I guess that's what happens when two stubborn idiots in the form of Jake and me have kids. In the end, Mac ends up on Jake's left, Harry in between us, and Liz on my right.

After switching off the lamp, we all share what I hope is the final goodnight but I'm pretty sure it isn't. And I'm right (duh!) because it's only a couple of minutes till there's yet another thunder and our kids are burying their faces into us. As usual, we rub their backs, plant several kisses on their heads, and try and reassure them that everything is alright.

After Liz is calmed down temporarily, I turn all my attention to Harry. As I'm playing with his beautiful curls, courtesy of Jake's perfect genes, he seems to be drifting off to sleep. But one of the many things I've learnt after being a mother is that not everything is as it seems. For instance, your baby might be smiling and making the most beautiful sound by laughing but the next moment they may be bawling their eyes out for no apparent reason. And I'm once again reminded of this lesson when Harry, out of nowhere, asks, 'Mommy, can you tell us a story?'

'Sure, what story?' I ask, hoping he replies with a short story rather than an Enid Blyton story. It's such a great feeling to know your child is taking up after you, especially when it's one of the things you love the most, but I just don't think I have the energy to summarize another story from _The Faraway Tree_ .

' _The Enchanted Wood_.'

'Honey, I think that's a bit too long.'

'What about _Three Little Pigs_?' Liz asks from my right, hoping her suggestion is chosen.

'No, that's for babies!' Mac cuts off immediately. Being an eight-year old and the eldest makes him think that Harry and Liz's suggestions are too childish for his liking. He's growing so fast, but he is far from being mature.

'Okay, what story do you want then?' I ask, though I know that this attempt is futile since Mac, like his father, is not the fondest of books.

'I don't know,' he answers simply.

'Okay, let me think,' I say with a sigh.

As I'm going through all the stories and books I've read to my kids in my head, I realize there's hardly a story all three of them may enjoy. Liz is still new to reading, Harry's already developed a passion for books slightly beyond his age level, and reading is just not Mac's favorite thing.

'Actually,' I hear my husband break the silence, 'I think I have a good story.'

'Really?' I ask, surprised he's already though of a story this quickly.

'Yeah, it's not that long and I think they'll all enjoy it... unless you don't want me to tell them.'

'What? Jake, why would I not want you to tell them a story?'

'I don't know... Just that, story-telling's been your thing, y'know?'

'Babe,' I say softly as I reach for his hand under the cover, 'I'm never gonna have a problem with you reading our children a story.'

'I know, I know. The thing is, I kinda made this story, so it may not be perfect.'

'I'm sure it'll be great,' I tell him with a warm smile, before giving him a peck, just for confidence... and also because his lips are right there, you know?

'Okay,' Jake says as he gathers more confidence. 'Okay, you three ready?' he asks.

A unanimous 'yeah' reverberates through the room.

'So, once, there was a husband and a wife and they were expecting a baby.'

'Ugh, I hate it already,' Mac complained again. 

'Mac, would you just let your Dad go on?' I ask, nay, demand of him. Honestly, they kid's just eight. Why's he being so fussy today? 

'Sorry,' he mutters.

'That's alright,' Jake says to us both really. 

'Daddy, did they like each other?' our daughter asks.

'What?'

'The husband and the wife.'

'Oh, Liz, they didn't just like each other,' he informs. He then turns to look at me. And although the room's dark, apart from the random times the lightning strikes, I can see his eyes clearly. His brown eyes, so warm and so loving. They're always so happy and so full of excitement. With the way he's looking at me right now, I know he's got something up his sleeve. 'They loved each other, a lot,' he continues, 'Fun fact - they once hated each other.'

As soon as he says those words, it all makes sense to me - he's basing the characters on us. Well, two can play this game.

'How'd they love each other then?' I ask in an effort to test his creativity.

'Oh, well, I guess the guy always loved the girl. But he was too afraid she didn't like him back. But they once kissed, and voila! They fell in love and later got married and then were expecting a baby.'

He smirks at me after finishing his brief backstory, knowing he's won this round. And, well, okay, that's all the kids need to know about this couple's relationship but it was missing some oomph. I'll give a 9 out of 10.

'What were their names?' Harry asks, and rightfully so. Jake doesn't really expect to continue the whole story with the characters as 'the guy' and 'the girl', does he?'

'Oh, well, um...'

Maybe he did.

'Their names were Jacques and Amelia.'

Almost like a knee-jerk reaction, I cover my mouth with my hand to make sure I don't laugh. So he goes with a French name for himself and a German name for me? To be fair, he had to whip this up immediately. But I'm more curious to see if any of the other three have figured something out. So far, it looks like none of them have cracked it.

'Right, so, Jacques and Amelia were two officers in the N.Y.P.D. Amelia was more senior than Jacques. But he didn't mind, he was actually proud of his wife.'

'N.Y.P.D.! That's where you work!' Harry says excitedly.

'Oh, really?' Jake acts surprised, 'I never realized that.'

'Neither did I,' I support him.

'Anyway,' he says after chuckling softly, 'Amelia and Jacques were ready to leave the precinct and go back home when suddenly, the entire city became dark.'

'Because it was night?' Liz asks.

'Well, I mean, it _was_ night. But all the lights went off.'

'Even the moon?'

'Wha- No, I mean - '

'What Daddy means, sweetie, is that a bad guy made sure that was no light in the city,' I help my husband explain. The younger the kid, the more weird their questions become. But I'm more interested in the story now. Ironically because I know _exactly_ what story he is on about now. And it's a story that will make me smile like crazy regardless in what manner, shape or form it's explained in.

'Yeah, and, since Amelia was the only senior officer not... trapped in an elevator, she was in charge. So, she sent Jacques and his best friend... Chuck to find out what happened. Meanwhile, Amelia and her best friend... Rosie were working to make sure the city was safe by supplying everything the people needed.'

'Did Jacques and Chuck find what happened?' Harry asks.

'Well, as Jacques and Chuck began looking for anything mysterious, they found a really weird guy named Russ. And it looked like everything would be solved. But then, at the precinct, the baby in Amelia's tummy decided he wanted to come out.'

'Oh, no! Was she fine?'

'Um... well, not really, no. You see, when giving birth, a woman goes through a lot of pain.'

Harry then turns to look up at me, and I know he's asking for confirmation. 'That's true, it hurts a lot,' I tell him. But to be honest, that's a major understatement. It hurts so much that you say words that you haven't said in a really long time. Trust me, I was shocked at the words my colleagues claimed to have heard from my mouth.

'So, then what happened?'

'Well, Rosie then called Jacques to tell him to come quickly. She then tried helping Amelia, but Amelia didn't want help. She wanted to help others. Amelia loved her job so much, that she believed it was most important to work through the pain than rest.'

'Wow, Amelia sounds strong,' Liz commented.

'Yeah, she's the strongest person I know,' Jake says as our eyes meet again in the dark. 

'Did Jacques get back on time?'

'Oh, well, the stories still left, sweetie. Jacques and Chuck were on their way back with Russ. But they met an old woman on the way and decided to help her.'

'But the birth!'

'Yeah, well, Jacques didn't want to miss the birth but he had learnt from his wife that duty comes first.'

I am so glad we're having this conversation in the dark. Thankfully no one can see my blush furiously right now.

'But, again, as they were going back, they got stuck in traffic and then they heard a woman shout. As it turned out, her neighbor fell down the stairs got hurt. When Jacques and Chuck were helping that man, they heard a gunshot. Turns out that the old woman shot Russ in the foot.'

'What? Why?'

'Because he sneezed. So, Jacques and Chuck now had to arrest the woman too.'

'What about Amelia?' Liz asks, slightly concerned. I smile a bit at how engrossed Harry and Liz are with Jake's beautiful storytelling. 

'Amelia's baby boy was very close to getting out. So, Rosie and Amelia needed the help of a fireman.'

'But Jacques wasn't there yet!'

'Yeah, and it gets even worse for him. Russ admitted that he caused the lights to go so that his friends would rob a bank. So, Jacques and Chuck had to go back to prevent it. But this is where Chuck becomes the best friend ever - he helped Jacques get back to the precinct by riding a horse. And Jacques reached just in time.'

'Yay!'

'And when Jacques got there, Amelia was already giving birth to their boy. And he was so proud of her because she was already tired and in a lot of pain. But she was giving birth to the most beautiful baby Jacques had eve seen. If it was possible, Jacques fell even more in love with his wife, who was also now the mother of their baby.'

He's looking at me when he says those words. And I know he means it. Every single word. Tears are threatening to leave my eyes and, if it weren't for Harry in between us, I'd kiss him with every emotion I possibly am feeling right now.

'What did they name him?' Harry asks.

Jake gives me a cursory glance before turning to our son and saying, 'McClane.'

In perfect sync, all four of us turn to Mac, albeit his siblings are having to stretch quite a bit. But I can see that he's awake, eyes wide open, as he's processing what his father just said.

After a couple of minutes of silence, which really feels like an eternity, Mac calls 'Daddy?'

'Yeah, bud?'

'Is Amelia supposed to be Mommy?'

'Um... yeah.'

'So, Jacques is you?'

'Yeah.'

'And Chuck and Rosie are Uncle Charlie and Auntie Ro-Ro?'

'Yeah.'

'Is this a real story?'

'It is. It's the story of how you were born.'

'So, you almost missed my birth to prevent a bank robbery?'

My heart aches at that question. I know Mac's just eight and that he doesn't understand the magnitude of the question. He probably thinks it's the same ask asking all the other questions. And it's not his fault. But Jake hated the events of that day for that very reason. I just hope he answers this calmly.

'Um, yeah, th-that is true, but, Mac, um, I - '

'You're the coolest person ever!'

Okay, that is not the reaction I was expecting. Especially considering how the question was framed. But an eight-year old asking that question probably didn't mean much. Either way, I'm definitely letting a few tears escape because, no matter how attached Mac has always been to Jake, this perhaps proves it. He's hugging Jake so tightly, very similar to when he first grasped onto his father's finger on the day he was born.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> SmortAndy01, thank you so much for the request. I must admit, I was circling around this idea, But when you requested this, it certainly pumped me up for it. Hope you liked it!! Also, for the first time, I've written a whole chapter based on a character's point of view. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out but please let me know what you guys think. And, yes, I completely left out Holt and Terry's dance despite it being the most hilarious thing last season and probably one of the greatest moments of all time on the show. But, hey, if Holt wasn't sure what he was doing, Amy and Rosa were weirded out, and some of us still can't fathom the fact that Captain Holt danced, how do you expect Mac, Harry and Liz to understand? Hahaha still, if it's omission bummed you out, sorry!! Lol
> 
> If y'all have any suggestions or ideas, please feel free to drop them down below.
> 
> Kudos and comments always make me smile, but are never demanded.
> 
> Thank you so much!!


	71. The Stories of Pineapples and Turtle Bug

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just how many weird things have Jake and Amy gone through?

It just wasn't fair, it really wasn't. Having two older brothers meant getting extra love and affection and care, or that's what everyone always told Liz. And yet here she was, alone in the attic with a torch, at nearly midnight searching for what she presumed was the last photo album needed. It didn't help that Mac was too lazy to do this or that Harry was too smart to find every reason she should be the one to go up instead. She prayed to God that no mouse popped out of nowhere. Now, if she could just find that album....

'Liz? Is that you?'

Immediately, Liz stood straight like a soldier in line. Maybe there was one other thing other than mice that could scare her.

'What's going on?'

'Um... nothing?' Liz replied as her mother fully made her way up into the attic as well.

'You do know that there's a switch right here, don't you?' she asked, illuminating the entire area with a simple flick to prove her point.

'I did not.'

'What are you doing in here anyway?' Amy asked as she walked up to her.

'Oh, I, um.... was looking for an album...'

'An album?'

'Yeah... You know, photo album.'

'Why do you need a photo album?'

God, why, oh, why did her mom have to be an N.Y.P.D. captain? She loved her and was proud of her, but she was definitely not liking the interrogation session right now.

'It's for a school project... Mr. Collinson assigned it to us.'

'Okay....' Amy said suspiciously.

'It's regarding our family history. So, I wanted to look at a few albums.'

'Oh, well, if that's the case,' Amy said as she turned around and walked to a corner where a really dusty and old shelf stood. She drew a dusty, old album out of it and blew the dust off it before giving it to her daughter.

'Thanks,' Liz said awkwardly as she tried to leave immediately. 

She was already halfway down the ladder when...

'I'm not convinced though.'

Readjusting her glasses, Liz popped her head back up in the attic again. Her mother was still looking at the other contents on the shelf, but her focus was still on Liz.

'What do you mean?'

'I'm just saying,' Amy replied as she drew another album and began walking to the ladder as well, 'it's your winter break.'

'Oh, heh heh, you know how Mr. Collinson is,' Liz tried to brush it off.

'I do, I just don't know why you're working on the project on your first day of your winter break at about three minutes to midnight,' she replied as she gave another album to her daughter.

'Then why are you still giving me another album?' Liz asked while accepting the collection.

'I mean, it is just an album. Even if you are lying, what's the worst thing you could be doing with it?'

***

'You jerks!' Liz shouted at her brothers as she entered her room.

'Woah! Keep it down!' Harry hushed her immediately.

'Yeah, Mom and Dad might hear us,' Mac chimed in.

'Too. Late!' Liz said, throwing an album following each word at her brothers.

'Ouch! What?' Mac asked as he rubbed the back of his head, where the album had hit him.

'Mom walked in on me searching for albums!' 

'Oh, come on, Liz! We expected more from you,' Harry said in mock disappointment, just to take the piss.

'Oh, shut up! And apparently there is a switch up there!'

'Yeah, we know...' Mac replied smugly, 'We just wanted to annoy you!'

'Forget that,' Harry said worried, 'What did Mom say?'

'Oh, she asked if I'd like to help her bake the Christmas cookies this year.'

'Wait, seriously?'

'Wow, we have such a chill mom!' Mac exclaimed.

'No, you idiots, I was obviously kidding!' Liz shouted as she smacked both of her brothers on their heads. 'She walked in on me searching for an album at midnight in the attic! What do you think she asked?' 

'Um... if you needed help?'

'Oh, my God, you're hopeless...' 

'Yeah, he is,' Harry agreed, earning a dirty look from his brother. 'So, what did you tell her?' he asked Liz.

'That it was for a school project,' Liz replied.

'Oh, so, crisis averted then. Good job, sis!'

'No, crisis not averted! She knows something's going on!'

'What? How?'

'She's an N.Y.P.D. captain for crying out loud!'

'What are we gonna do then?'

'I guess we just go through all these albums and see if there's any mention of _Turtle Bug_ or _Pineapples_ in there somewhere.'

'Yes, that is what you'll do,' Mac said as he pointed at the other two and got up, 'I, on the other hand, am going to get some ice-cream.' 

***

'That was the last of them,' Liz said with a sigh after closing the album and placing it on the floor. She groaned as she fell back on her pillows and took off her glasses, rubbing her now very tired eyes. 'Not a single mention or hint of either name,' she complained. 

'I give up,' Harry agreed as he tossed the album aside and got up to stretch.

'What? Already?' Mac asked surprised as he looked up from his laptop. 'Come on, guys, dig deep! You'll find something!' 

'What did you just say?' Liz asked slowly as she reassumed her sitting position.

'I'm saying, try harder and you'll find something.'

'You say that once more,' Liz said while point a finger in front of him, 'and I will tear you to shreds...'

'Liz...' Harry said cautiously having noticed Liz's sudden change in tone and body language, 'He doesn't mean it...'

'Look, you guys clearly didn't try hard enough, or you'd have found something by now.'

'Alright, that does it!'

Like a lioness hiding in the tall grass of the savannahs, Liz immediately pounced on her prey, i.e. Mac. She pinned him to the ground, holding his right hand in a twist behind his back, and pulling his head back by his hair.

'Take it back!'

'Wha-?'

'Take it back!!'

'OW! Wha.. di... I say???' 

'Liz, you might wanna let go...' Harry advised nervously.

'Not until this buttmunch apologizes! He didn't even go through one page and he demands us to do more!'

'A.. leas... I go... ice-crea-!'

'You didn't even share!!!!' Liz shouted, pulling his hair even harder now.

'OW! OW! Ow! How are you so strong?!'

'Guys, Mom and Dad might hear us!' Harry warned, and finally Liz let go of Mac and made her way back to her bed.

'I hope you're happy,' Mac said bluntly as he tried massaging his neck, 'I think you've twisted my esophagus.'

'That's the food pipe, dum-dum,' Liz pointed out.

'But it's within the throat, which is in the neck, so....' he prompted in an effort to get his point proven but was instead met by weird looks on his siblings' faces. 'Hey, you're the weird ones for not understanding me,' he defended.

'Whatever, we still didn't get the job done tonight,' Harry muttered softly.

'Ugh, this sucks! What do we do next?' Liz asked.

'I don't know... We've gone through about twenty albums throughout the day... Did you see any other albums while you were up there?'

'Oh, no no no no no no no no! I am NOT going back up there again!'

'Well, someone's gonna have to.'

'Hey, what if we just ask them what the names in their contact mean?' Mac suggested.

Slowly, his siblings turned to him with blank expressions. 'What?' they asked simultaneously.

'You know, just ask them what _Pineapples_ and _Turtle Bug_ mean.'

'Oh, so you'd be willing to just ask them out of the blue?' Liz asked.

'Well, not _me_. But you two can. I mean, how weird would it be? And what would I tell them? That I'd snooped around on their phones and seen their contacts? That would be weird, right?'

'Huh... that _would_ be weird...' Liz said as a matter of fact.

'Right?'

'Totally... Hey, Mac, come on, sit closer to us, come on.' Liz encouraged.

'Wow... I thought you'd still be mad at me,' Mac said as he shuffled on his knees to the foot of the bed where Harry was sitting.

'What? Nonsense! We three need a new plan, it's time to brainstorm.'

'Wow, Liz, really, I'm impressed at how understand you- ow! Ow! OW! Liz, what're you doing?!' Mac asked as Liz pulled him up by his ear, so that he'd see her eye to eye.

'Listen, punk!' she began, 'You may have done absolutely nothing today. But you are definitely gonna ask Mom and Dad tomorrow. Got it?'

'And if I don't? OW! Got it, you'll pull my ear harder!! Got it!'

***

'YOU KNOW WHAT?!' Jake shouted at the top of his lungs and Amy spat all her coffee out on the coffee table.

'Well, you know, when you gave us your phones that time you two had work, we were bored and - '

'And you decided to snoop through our phones?' Amy asked furiously and annoyed as she cleaned up the mess she just made on their coffee table.

'See? You get it!' Mac said delightedly, absolutely oblivious of his parents vexation.

'They're mad at you, dumbo...' Liz muttered from behind her brother.

'What? No, they're not!'

'Yes, we are!' Jake and Amy said simultaneously.

'Okay, maybe they are...' he finally conceded.

'We're disappointed in all of you,' Amy continued, 'What have we told you all about respecting others' privacy?'

'But your phones were _right there_ , y'know?'

Jake's genes were definitely playing their part in Mac's brain right now by making him feel like it was a totally cool and noice thing they had done. Even the stares his parents were giving him were not enough to burst his little bubble. His siblings, on the other hand, knew that they were in trouble now and that the answer they so craved may just be slipping away.

'Look, Mom, Dad,' Harry stepped up, 'What we did was wrong and we realize that now. But can you please tell us why you have those names for each other?'

The parents just shared a look. After knowing each other for so long, it was easy for them to communicate via expressions alone. And they had just decided on something again.

'Sit down,' Amy ordered and their teenagers did as they were told to. 'So, which story you want to hear first?' she asked.

'Wait, you're actually gonna tell us the stories?' Liz asked excitedly.

'Yeah, isn't that what you wanted?'

'It is!' she reassured her mother quickly.

'So? Which one first?'

'Um...'

' _Pineapples_! Tell us about _Pineapples_ first!' Harry said excitedly.

'Fine, I'll start,' Jake said. 'So, my nana used to call me Pineapples when I was a kid. And one day, Ames came over to my place when we were solving a case and she noticed a little framed picture, which had a note reading, "Love you, Pineapples!" So, ever since then, she's been making fun of me.'

'Hey! That's not entirely true!' Amy cut in. 'You see,' she began, 'That picture was actually of your dad when he was, what, about seven? And he looked so cute, especially since he was hugging his nana! So, I just had to tease him about it.'

'That's exactly what I said.'

' _But_ ,' she cut in sharply, 'I only teased him about it because we kinda loathed each other back then. Once we started dating, I used to see that picture whenever at your dad's place. And when we moved in together, he put that frame on his nightstand. So, then I started calling him _Pineapples_ not to tease him, but as a pet name.'

'But we've never heard you call Dad 'Pineapples',' Mac pointed out.

'And you never will!' Jake said quickly, 'It's an embarrassing story and I don't want anyone else to find out. So, she settled to just save my contact under that name. And believe me, if this story surpasses these four walls, you're ALL grounded!'

'Okay, okay,' Harry calmed his dad down.

'That was actually a sweet story, I don't really know why you're so embarrassed,' Liz commented.

'Okay, now what about _Turtle Bug_?'

'Oh, God...' Amy muttered softly under her breath, 'This is gonna be embarrassing....'

'Oooh! Come on, tell us quickly!'

'Okay, so, um... I was kinda in a relationship with this guy and he called me his 'Turtle Bug'...'

'That's not too bad.'

'Come on, Ames, full story...' Jake urged.

'Ugh! Do I have to?'

'Well, I did!'

'Okay, fine!' she conceded. 'So, um, I was at a wedding once... alone... and I kinda got drunk, and I, um.... I... slept with the guy from the band....' 

Even she was wincing at her own words now.

'Woah! Woah! Woah! This isn't a sex story, is it?' Mac asked with absolute horror in his eyes.

'Well, no, not exactly... But... Okay, the thing is, the next morning, I was about to leave, but he started crying - '

'He cried?!' Liz asked for confirmation.

'Yeah, he did, so.... I couldn't leave him just then... and I stayed with him... for three months....'

'Wow...' Harry said slowly.

'Well, I mean, you can say you were with a guy from a band. That's pretty cool, right?' Liz suggested.

'His name was Constantine Kane and he had a man bun,' Jake mentioned, immediately answering his daughter's question.

'Oh, my God! Are you serious?!'

'Okay, he DID NOT have a man bun back then!' Amy tired defending herself.

'Wait, wait, wait,' Harry said, 'What do you mean "back then"? Did you see him later again?'

'Ohh, this is the best part!' Jake said excitedly.

'Oh, shut up!' Amy snapped.

'What happened?' Mac asked eagerly.

'Well, when we planned for our wedding - '

'Just to be clear, your and Dad's wedding, right?'

'Obviously! Anyway, he told me he had a surprise for me. Apparently, he booked the same band where that guy was from 'cause my friend, Kylie, told him that I liked the band.'

'Oh, dear....' Liz said softly, already assuming the worst.

'Luckily, I got to know about it on time. So, the bachelorette party basically became a day for negotiation so that he wouldn't play at our wedding but....'

'What? What happened?'

'He was obsessed with your mom. He still loved her. And he made me sign a contract that guaranteed him a gig at our wedding,' Jake answered smugly.

'So, your ex-boyfriend performed at your wedding?!' 

'Hey! He was not my boyfriend! And he didn't! 'Cause we terminated the contract!' Amy replied, still proud of the wildest thing she'd ever done in public.

'Wait, how?'

'Basically, I burned it.'

'Woah, noice!' Mac chimed in.

'Mom! A contract is sacred! It's the soul of a relationship! How could you just burn it?' Harry asked, completely appalled by the fact that someone just terminated a contract with the utmost of ease.

'Oh, sweetie, I am so, so proud of you,' Amy said with a warm smile and pure adoration. 'But you gotta do what you gotta do, and it wasn't really a relationship I wanted. Besides, none of this would have happened if Jake hadn't signed the contract.'

'Wait, yeah, that is true,' Liz said as a matter of fact as she turned to her father, 'Why'd you book him if you knew he was still in love with Mom? Was he at least good?'

'Oh. no, he was terrible,' Jake answered, 'But Kylie told me Amy loved his music.'

'Babe, this was my ex-weird relationship guy. Why would you still hire him?' Amy asked.

'Because it was our big day, and I wanted you to be happy. I mean, of course I don't like the fact that you have ex-boyfriends/weird one night stand guys, but you weren't in love with him, you just liked his music, or at least that's what I was told. I just had to suck it up and it would be worth it to see you happy.'

How was this man so incredible? How was she so lucky to get this man to marry her? She smiled as she leaned forward to brush his lips with hers - soft and tender, but just enough to tell him how much he was appreciated.

'Babe,' she said softly after they parted, 'I know it's been nearly twenty years since we got married, but I still want you to know, I had the best wedding ever despite how everything seemed to fall apart. I was marrying you, and that's all that mattered to me.'

They both smiled again, eyes warm, leaning in for another kiss with the same steadiness as before. But then....

'You two are so gross.'

'And so old.'

Jake and Amy awkwardly turned to the other three people in the room to find unimpressed looks on their faces. Of course, teenagers being the obnoxious ones in the family made sense, especially when it came to their parents being intimate in front of them.

'Wait, what do you mean "everything seemed to fall apart"?' Liz asked as she furrowed her brows.

'Oh, my God,' Amy said with a little chuckle, 'We had probably the unluckiest wedding in the history of weddings.'

'Yeah, it started with her veil getting some nasty stain. Then we got a bomb threat.'

'A bomb threat?!'

'Yup.'

'It was a hoax, right? I mean, there was no real bomb, was there?'

'Oh, no, there was definitely a bomb.'

'Yeah, and unfortunately my ex-boyfriend had to show up,' Amy continued.

'What?!' Liz squealed in disbelief.

'Yeah... A certain Mr. Ex-Boyfriend _Teddy_...' Jake said with pure disgust.

'Okay, I'm sensing you don't like Teddy by the way you're saying his name,' Harry observed.

'Eh, it's a sore spot in his heart,' Amy tried to brush it off.

'He's always proposing to you, Amy! Sorry if I don't like that!' he defended himself.

'Woah, wait, wait, wait, wait!!' Mac said quickly, 'What does that mean?'

'It literally means what I'm saying - he ALWAYS proposes to Amy, regardless of who's around, not that that matters... He just sucks, alright?'

'Look, I don't know if you three remember this,' Amy spoke, 'But when you were kids, we were at the park one day with Rosa and Teddy was there too apparently.'

'Oh, my gosh! I do remember!' Mac exclaimed as he nearly jumped out of the couch. 'We came back home with Aunt Ro-Ro's hand bleeding.'

'Yeah, exactly, that's 'cause he proposed to me again, and Rosa just had enough and punched him.'

'Aunt Ro-Ro is so cool!'

'What? Even cooler than me?' Jake asked, no one really sure if it was mock disbelief or genuine.

'Oh, yeah. Much cooler.'

'Yeah, she'd never get jealous over an ex,' Amy commented.

'If the ex proposes to you time and time again, everyone hates them, Ames,' her husband countered.

'Yeah, I'm agreeing with Dad here,' Mac came to his aide, 'Proposing is just a classy way to hit on someone if front of their boyfriend or girlfriend.'

'Okay, that's one way to look at it, not sure if I completely understood what he said, but he sided with me and that's all that matters.'

'Ugh, whatever,' Amy said with pure annoyance as she rolled her eyes, 'IT's not like I'm gonna accept it or anything. Besides, we're married and have three kids. I just don't see why you feel threatened by Teddy.'

'Oh, really?' Jake asked intrigued, as he leaned closer to interrogate his wife. Clearly, something popped into his mind.

'Yeah.'

'Oh, so you don't get jealous when I name one of my ex-girlfriends.'

'Of course not.'

'Not even _Sofia_?'

'DON'T YOU DARE TAKE THAT BITCH'S NAME IN FRONT OF ME!'

Immediately, all four of them thrusted back into their seats after seeing Amy's really unprecedented and really immature outburst. Their kids were wide-eyed, trying to process what had just happened. Jake, on the other hand, was snickering after having pressed the right buttons to agitate his wife, proving his point in the process as well. It only took a few seconds for Amy to realize what she had just said. Of course, the looks she was getting from her three kids further increased the magnitude of the situation.

'Oh, um... sorry... I don't really know what happened...'

'Oh, I know what happened!' Jake popped up, 'I mentioned So- '

'Don't you dare test my patience, Jacob!' she cut him off immediately, elbowing him in the ribs to further send a message.

'OW! Amy, that hurt!' he groaned as he pressed a part to his rib, where he was pretty sure he was bruising now.

'Wow...' Liz said softly, eyes still wide and mouth still agape.

'What?' the parents asked simultaneously.

'You guys are so immature!'

'Hey, watch it, missy!' Amy warned.

'No, Liz is right,' Harry agreed, 'You both mention an ex that you haven't seen in, what, ten years maybe and you're at each other's throats.'

'Hey, you three are too young to understand the subject of ex-girlfriends.'

'Okay, yes, maybe,' Harry conceded.

'But,' Liz continued quickly, 'You're married and you love each other and you have three kids, albeit the boys are a bit of a disappointment, but isn't that all that matters? That you're happy now and wouldn't want anything else?'

'How... How are you so smart and mature?' Amy asked in complete amazement.

'Well, I mean, she does have a pretty great mom,' Jake commented.

'And an even better dad.'

'See? You're back to your old, sickeningly sweet selves,' their daughter observed.

'Oh, sweetie,' Amy said as she shook her head slowly, 'You're so naïve. You've definitely not seen our "sickeningly sweet selves."'

'Wait, you were worse?' Mac asked, completely shocked.

'No, we were _better_.'

'Yeah,' Jake chimed in, 'We were amazing when we first started dating! We were once making out in the locker room and we killed our captain.'

'WHAT THE HELL?!?!' all three kids shouted.

'Okay, I know that sounds like we're murderers but, I promise, it's better than it sounds,' he tried assuring quickly.

'You guys killed someone! How are you supposed to come out good in any version of that story?' Harry asked.

'Oh, my God! Are we kids to murderers?' Liz asked as soon as the thought crossed her mind.

'Now you're just overreacting,' Amy said unimpressed.

'Yeah, it's not like we planned to get caught and kill him,' Jake supported.

'Okay, okay, if you kill someone unintentionally, have you committed a crime?' Harry asked.

'Well, yeah...'

'So, you're accessories to a crime!'

'What? No! Okay, thing of it like this,' Amy tried clarifying, 'If I walked in on you doing your homework and I got a heat attack. Does it mean you killed me?'

'I guess not...'

'Okay, wait, that's not accurate,' Jake said, 'I mean, our making out sessions aren't as boring as homework. I mean, they're hot< like, super hot!'

'For the love of God, keep your hands off each other for once!!' Mac shouted as all three of then rushed out of the room, obviously tired of hearing another overemphasis on an unnecessary description from their parents.

***

'So, we agree, right?' Harry asked.

'Yeah, no more asking Mom and Dad about their past,' Liz answered.

'Wait, are we sure about this?' Mac asked.

'YES! Because no matter what we ask them, they always bring up a gross story of them kissing or... _something worse_....'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, I want to and need to apologize for publishing this chapter so late. I've had a rough past week or so and school doesn't make it any easier. There were times I was working on this just to distract myself, but I figured I only right best when I'm in the right state of mind. And honestly, I'd rather publish a chapter late and be happy with it than publish a chapter I've only worked on halfheartedly for the sake of completing it. Fortunately, for me at least, the IPL has started (I LOVE cricket, alright?) so it DEFINITELY helped me relax a lot. And I felt better and was able to write this properly over the past week or so. Hope this was worth it but I do apologize if it seems a bit off or rusty.
> 
> Thanks to Gaya3 for this peach of a request! Was wondering how to make an overall lighthearted chapter until you gave that request. Of course, couldn't list ALL the things these two have gone through lol. 
> 
> Feel free to give requests if you have any.
> 
> Kudos and comments are greatly appreciated but never demanded.
> 
> Thank you all so much!!


	72. We're Here for You, No Matter What

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The entire family is there for Liz.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am sooo sorry for the extremely late update!! I've been slowed down by a few things - 
> 
> 1) School absolutely sucks, plus being the final week of the first trimester, I needed to complete all my works.
> 
> 2) Exams are approaching and I kinda have to study even though I don't want to.
> 
> 3) Also, this is one of the longest and most complicated chapters I've ever written. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved writing it. But I wanted this to be as close to perfect as it could be.
> 
> P.S. Don't worry if you've given me a request. Just because I've not been writing doesn't mean I've not been thinking about them haha! I'll try to come out with the new chapters as soon as possible.

'Liz, you have to tell them.'

'It's not that easy!'

No, I know that, but - ' 

'EXCUSE ME? YOU _KNOW_ THAT?'

'Oh, no, no, no! That's not what I mean!'

'So, what did you mean then?!' she asked, absolutely infuriated.

Mac sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, clearly unsure of what to say. 'I'm gonna be honest,' he said, 'I don't really know what to tell you Liz. It's not that I don't want to, I just really don't know what to say...'

Liz played with the hem of her shirt, avoiding her brother's eyes. 'I know I have to tell them,' she admitted softly, 'But they'll be so disappointed in me... Especially Mom... I mean, she's gonna kill me!'

'No, she won't! he tried brushing it off, but he could still see the worry in her expression. 'Look,' he spoke again, 'You know you have to tell them. But if you're so worried, maybe just tell Dad then?'

'What difference does it make? He'll obviously tell Mom.'

'But he'll at least make sure Mom understands.'

Liz turned to her brother to say something. She even opened her mouth, but nothing came out. What he said made sense and she knew what she had to do as well. 'Fine,' she declared, 'I'll tell them tomorrow.'

'Liz, it's not even seven, they're still awake.'

'I suppose you're right,' she conceded as she glanced at her watch. 'Okay,' she said a bit wearily as she got up, 'I'm heading over to their room now.'

'Yeah, okay.'

She walked slowly over to the door to Mac's room, and put her hand on the knob. But even before she could turn it, she turned to face her brother. 'Hey, listen,' she called, 'I know you get a lot of crap from Harry and me for not being the smartest.... But you're definitely the best brother in the world right now.'

'Come on, that's what family's for, right? To be there for each other.'

'Definitely,' she said with a small smile.

'Also, I'm definitely telling Harry that you said I was the best brother.'

***

Not in their bedroom. Not in the kitchen. Definitely in the living room. It was a weekend, so her parents were bound to be watching a movie or some show. And as she looked in the living room, she realized that her assumption was right. Surprisingly, it was just Jake in the room. So maybe she would just tell her dad first. His eyes were glued on the television and he was unaware of the presence of another body in the room.

'Hey,' she said, catching his attention.

'Oh, hey. Thought you were in your room studying.'

'Oh, I was... But just felt I'm done with studying for today.'

'That's a fair point. Wanna sit down?'

'Oh, um... sure.'

At first, she hesitated. She wasn't sure why. It wasn't that she was skeptical of her dad, that would never happen in a million years. She was just nervous - really, really nervous. Several thoughts were racing through her mind: Should she tell him? What would his reaction be? When to tell him? In the middle of a scene? Snatch the remote and pause the TV? The questions just multiplied with each second, definitely not helping her cause to be calm. She just hoped he wouldn't notice it.

'You alright?'

Of course he noticed. He was a detective after all.

'Uh... Yeah.'

'You sure?'

'Mmm-hmm, just tired.'

'Well, that is understandable.'

'What?' she asked immediately, her head jerking up. What did he mean by that? Did he know something?

'I mean, you have been preparing for the S.A.T. extensively for this week, especially this day. I know that's not easy.'

'Oh...'

'Yeah...' Jake then turned to his daughter, furrowing his eyebrows and giving her a questioning look. 'What did you think I meant?' he asked.

'Nothing, nothing,' she assured him quickly, 'I just thought you were making fun of me or something.'

'Eh, didn't think annoying a tired Liz would be a good idea. Anyway, you wanna watch Die Hard? You know I won't say no.'

'Um... Sure.' 

'Right, but which to watch...?'

Jake seemed to be doing some deep thinking. Anyone who knew him wouldn't be surprised; he would always think deep and hard just to make sure he selected the right Die Hard movie. Sometimes the others joked that he had mentally assigned a particular movie to watch with someone, i.e. one with Amy, one with Mac, one with Harry, one with Liz, and one just for himself for when he wanted some alone time. Liz, on the other hand, was doing her own thinking. She wasn't quite sure why she'd agreed to watch Die Hard. Don't get her wrong, she loved Die Hard, maybe just second to her dad. But she had come down to talk to him about something else, not watch 'the best movie franchise of all time'. But somehow there just wasn't a perfect time to tell him. She couldn't just blurt it out, could she? And what if her mom walked in the middle of the conversation? That would be awkward to say the least.

'Dad?' she called out, bringing him out of his thoughts. 'Can I ask you something?'

For a few seconds, but what really felt like an eternity for Liz, Jake just sat there looking at his daughter. 'I think I know what this is about,' he said finally.

'You do?' she asked nervously.

'Yeah... Liz, listen, you don't need to stress about the S.A.T., alright? You're a really smart girl.'

'What? No, Dad, that's not what I was gonna ask.'

'It wasn't?'

'No, I just...' She sighed as she searched for the right words. 'Okay, okay,' she said a bit confidently. 'When did you have your first kiss?' she asked, cringing at her own words. Never in a million years did she think she'd ask that to her father.

'Oh, my God...' Jake said softly.

'I know, I know. That sounds - '

'You had your first kiss?! Oh, my God! How? I mean, I know _how_ , your mom and I kiss a lot - '

'Ew! Dad, just stop!' she urged, wincing at another thought now.

'Right, sorry.'

'So...?' she prompted her earlier question.

'Well, I was about sixteen I guess. It was at prom.'

'Oh... And, like, were you two into it?'

'I mean, your mom does say I'm an amazing kisser...'

'No, Dad, no! Ew! Gross! That's totally not what I meant!'

'Oh.'

'I meant... Did you two want to kiss each other?'

'Well, it's kinda considered lame to not kiss your date. So, yeah, I wanted to kiss her. And I'm pretty sure she wanted to kiss me as well. She was so drunk she kept asking me to kiss her!'

'Oh, I see...'

'Yeah... Wait, why are you asking these questions?'

Liz sighed as she looked at her dad. There really was nothing she couldn't talk to him about. And so far, the conversation hadn't been too bad apart from the usual gross interactions their parents would somehow always describe. Although, if she was being honest, it was something she was quite used to by now after all these years. Back more importantly, it seemed like she had no choice now but to tell him. She had to, there was no turning back now.

'I... I don't think was into the kiss today...'

'Wait, _today_? I though you were studying with your friends today?'

'I was,' she affirmed.

'Wait, so... Oh, my God...' he said softly, moving closer to his daughter and hugging her tightly. 

Liz squirmed a bit in her dad's arms. She loved his hugs, but this was weird. A hug for a first kiss? Okay, definitely weird. 'Um... Dad?' she asked.

'I'm so proud of you,' he whispered into her ear.

'Um... Okay...?'

'It's not easy to come out, but you did this so confidently. I love you so much, and that'll never change, alright?'

'Wait, wait, wait,' Liz said with a shake of the head and pushing herself away from her dad as she finally understood what had happened. 'Dad, I'm not coming out. I mean, there's nothing wrong with being gay, but I'm not.'

'Oh, sorry,' he said a bit sheepishly, 'It's just that you said you'd be studying with Stacie, Shannon and Alex and they're all girls so.... Oh, unless, Alex is actually short for Alexander and is a boy!'

'No, Dad, Alex - Alexandria - is a girl.'

'But you had your first kiss?'

'Yeah.'

'With a boy?'

'Correct.'

'But there was no boy in the study group?'

'Maybe I should just explain everything...'

***

__

_ Flashback: _

_'And I was thinking that maybe we can talk to your brother, you know, since he gave the S.A.T. last year?'_

_'Yeah, maybe...' Liz mumbled, not fully concentrated on what her friend was saying, but still maintaining the pace to walk with her._

_'Um... Liz?'_

_'Hmm?'_

_'I bought some new stationary supplies for you.'_

_'Okay.'_

_'Alright, stop right there,' she said while tugging Liz back. 'What's going on?' she asked._

_'What do you mean?'_

_'Something is clearly bothering you. I mention stationary supplies and you just shrug? Something's definitely up. What? Did you lose a binder or something?'_

_Liz sighed as she looked at her friend. 'No, Alex, it's not like that,' she told her._

_'I'm not buying it,' Alex countered, simply folding her arms and standing in front of Liz, waiting for an explanation._

_'Alright fine,' she conceded, 'I'm skeptical of Shannon.'_

_'What do you mean?'_

_'Shannon, who's been called to the office, like, ten times for something or the other? She's the living embodiment of entropy!'_

_'Maybe she's changed, y'know?' Alex suggested as the two friends resumed walking._

_'I doubt it. She's not even that smart.'_

_'Look, I know that. But Stacie decided to let her join. I mean, look at us - we're in our last year and we're the nerdiest girls in school. We've got to be accepting of other people.'_

_'Yeah, but Shannon? I mean, if we really did want someone not-so-nerdy in the group, we could've asked Kathy to come. She's fun and sociable.'_

_'I know, but... I mean, Stacie has been close to Shannon for the past couple weeks now... I guess, we should have seen it coming in hindsight.'_

_'Yeah, maybe.'_

_'But it'll be alright,' Alex quickly reassured, 'I mean, Stacie's still our friend... right?'_

_***_

_'I'm bored. Maybe we should take a break.'_

_'What? Shannon, we've just been working for thirty minutes, we haven't even completed one section,' Liz pointed out._

_'Yeah, I mean, the plan was to prepare for at least three hours before we took any break,' Alex supported her._

_'Three hours? That's way too long!' Shannon complained._

_'What?' Liz asked in disbelief. 'Stacie,' she called out, 'We agreed on three hours, right?'_

_'Well, yes, we did,' Stacie answered. But when she saw the unimpressed look on Shannon's face, she quickly spoke again, 'But, um... maybe a tiny bathroom break won't matter.'_

_'Excellent!' Shannon exclaimed, as she got up to leave the room. 'Oh, and by the way,' she said, just before leaving, 'I've made reservations for us at the bar at 43rd for after the studying. So, don't tire yourselves out too much!'_

_Alex and Liz stared at each other with wide eyes, shocked at what they had just heard. But even before they could say anything, Stacie replied, 'Sounds great!'_

_  
'Stace, what are you doing?' Alex asked once she was sure Shannon was out of earshot._

_'Yeah, my parents are cops! They'll kill me if they know I'm in a bar!' Liz reminded._

_'I don't think it's wrong to just go to the bar... I mean, I think if we just don't drink, then - '_

_'Oh, my God! What has gotten into you?!' Liz shouted._

_'What?' she asked, completely oblivious of her friends' point._

_'Stacie, we could get into real trouble here,' Alex explained, 'I mean, how did Shannon even get a reservation for us?!'_

_'I don't know...' she replied with a sigh. 'But isn't it more important that we explore the world more? We're going to college to crying out loud! We can't just be these introverts that we've always been, can we?'_

_'But this is the wrong way!'_

_Stacie sighed as she looked at her two friends nervously. 'Okay, maybe we just go this one time, don't use our phones AT ALL, don't drink, and leave. Let's just try it? Please?'_

_Alex and Liz shared a look before nodding slowly, but unconvincingly._

_***_

_'And here we are,' Shannon said as she opened the door to the bar, 'Hope you girls like to drink.'_

_As the other three followed in behind, they looked around, completely amazed. It was obvious for anyone to see that it was their first time being inside a bar. The sounds of the glasses clinking and clanking against one another, the loud yet unclear conversations of people around, the smell of alcohol, which was a bit nauseating for all of them at first, it was all so very new to the three of them. Even Liz and Alex, who were still skeptical, had to admit that the environment in the bar was actually pretty nice._

_'So, wait, how'd you manage to get us reservations in a bar?' Liz asked._

_'Oh, well, my brother runs it.'_

_'Oh, I see...'_

_'Anyway, that's him with his friends right there,' she said as she led them to a table._

_The other girls were about to follow her, but Liz stood straight, seemingly to have frozen as her eyes went wide. She immediately pulled Alex back, as if to tell her to wait._

_'What's the matter now?' Alex asked, slightly concerned something bad had happened._

_'Her brother is friends with Mark?!'_

_'Who?' Alex asked, confused._

_Liz gave her friend a look before swiftly turning her around by the shoulders and gesturing to the table. 'Mark Carey? The guy I've had a crush on for a long time now!' she eplained._

_'Ohhhhh, that Mark,' Alex said as she finally understood._

_'Yes, that Mark,' Liz reaffirmed, turning a deep shade of red. 'Oh, I don't think I can do this...' she said, breathing slightly heavily and nervously now._

__

_'What?'_

_'Alex, this is all too much! I mean, we're friends with Shannon? And we're in a bar? Where we're gonna drink? With Mark Carey?'_

_'Well, I mean, we don't need to do the third thing...'_

_'Oh, you think now's a good time to joke?' Liz asked annoyed._

_'I'm not joking,' Alex said bluntly._

_'Oh, forget it! I think I'm just gonna leave...'_

_'Hey!'_

_And just as she turned, Liz froze at the sight in front of her. Holding two bottles of beer in his hand in front of her was her crush, the one person she wanted to escape from right now. And although she was nervous, she still couldn't help but smile. As far as she knew, almost the entire school adored Mike Carey, let alone the girls. And the person she was afraid to approach her whole life was approaching her instead. Honestly, it was really something new._

_'You're Elizabeth, right?' he asked._

_'Oh, yeah.... You can call me Liz,' she told him._

_'Alright, Liz. You wanna share a drink with me?' he asked as he offered her a bottle._

_***_

_'And that's what it means when it says 5% alcohol.'_

_'Wow... I never really stopped to read a beer label before...' he remarked._

_'Oh, my God! I'm so sorry!' Liz replied immediately, going a deep shade a crimson as she tried covering her face._

_'What?'_

_She sighed as she looked at him and down to her bottle and back up at him again. He looked confused and she couldn't blame herself. 'Alright, look,' she began, 'This is actually my first drink and I really have no idea about what people talk when they're drinking. So, I just... taught you something random.'_

_'Wow...'_

_'Yeah... You probably think I'm lame or something, don't you?'_

_'I don't,' he replied simply._

_'Come on,' she insisted, not buying it._

_'I mean... Yeah, it's new that you taught me something, but it wasn't all bad. I mean, you looked really cute when you were explaining it.'_

_At that, her head perked up. The fact that her crush found her cute made her want to do a dance right there. Although, if she was being honest, it was probably for the best that she remained seated. 'Thank you,' she said softly, blushing furiously as she found him smiling back at her._

_'So? This was your first drink, huh?'_

_'Oh, yeah.'_

_'How'd you like it?'_

_'Honestly, I don't really like the taste,' she said with a wince._

_'Meh, that's alright. Maybe there's something else that you'll like.'_

_'Oh, well, I mean, the others do contain higher volumes of alcohol so they'll probably taste more bitter and - '_

_She was cut off quickly and unexpectedly and perhaps in the last way she thought it would happen. The day had been weird - a new 'friend' per se, going to a bar, meeting your crush, drinking with him. And now, she could add 'having your first kiss' to that list. It was super weird. It was not bad, but it wasn't great either. To be fair, she probably had no right to say what a bad kiss or good kiss was, after all this was her very first._

_'Better?' he asked after parting._

_'Um... I guess...' she replied, unsure about how she felt really._

_After hearing her response, Mark leaned in again, but this time Liz arched back. He looked at her with slight amusement._

_'What's wrong?' he asked._

_'Nothing!' she replied quickly, 'I just... Don't want to...?'_

_'Uh... I though you said you liked it?'_

_'No, I mean, yes, I did say that I guess I did, which does lie closer to yes than no, but - '_

_Yet again, she could not finish her statement for the same reason. If she was unsure about the first one, she was definitely sure about the second one - she wasn't its biggest fan. She tapped his shoulders, hoping he'd get the message. Instead, he deepened the kiss. She tried a few other things - poking his ribs, trying to moan 'stop' - but he just didn't get the message. Eventually, he had to break the kiss to catch his breath, and Liz was glad he did._

_'So?' he asked in between breaths, 'Do you wanna go someplace private?'_

_***_

Present time:

'Fortunately, Alex saw that I was uncomfortable and came up with an excuse to get me out of there...'

As she turned to her dad, Liz found that he was looking at her with an expression of sympathy. Maybe there were films of tears in her eyes, but she wasn't so sure. He reached for her hands as he sat closer to her and wrapped his arm around her, then resting her head on his shoulder.

'Liz, I... I'm sorry... I just... You're 18, you shouldn't have to deal with these things...'

'I was scared... What would he have done in _someplace private_?'

'Hey, hey,' he said as he planted a kiss on her forehead, 'Let's not think of that, alright?'

'Okay,' she said softly. 'Sorry if I scared you.'

'Liz, no, no, don't say that, alright? You didn't scare me, exactly. I just.... Gosh, this sucks! I just.... I think I'm more angry than scared at the moment.'

Father and daughter stayed there in silence for some time, as he rubbed her back soothingly, kissing her temple periodically. Liz couldn't believe she'd been scared to tell her dad. She felt silly for thinking so below. But she still had to tell her mom. And slowly she got nervous again, wondering how Amy would react. She'd be calm too, right, just like her dad was at the moment? She wasn't certain though.

'Dad?' she called.

'Yeah?'

'Where's Mom?'

He paused for a while before replying, 'In the study.'

'Oh.'

They stayed in silence again before Jake asked, 'You want to tell her?'

'I think I have to,' she tried to joke.

'No, I mean are you ready to tell her?'

'Oh... I think so... I mean, you'll be there too, right?'

'Of course I will,' he reassured her, pressing another kiss on her head.

'Thanks, Dad,' she said with a small smile.

'Want me to go get her down?'

'Please?'

***

'Hey, listen,' Jake said as he re-entered the living room, 'I didn't find your mom, but I did find this note.'

Liz looked up from his couch to find her dad offering her a small piece of paper. She accepted it and unfolded it and began to read - 

**Hey, Pineapples! I got a call from work and had to leave immediately. Be back soon! Love you!'**

'Now what?' she asked her dad.

'Well, you can go to your room, and I'll bring her there when she gets back,' he suggested.

'Okay,' she said as she got up to leave. 'Um... Dad?' she called again, right at the door.

'Yeah?'

'Are you two ever gonna stop calling each other _Pineapples_ and _Turtle Bug_?'

'Oh, just go upstairs!'

***

Liz really had nothing to do except wait. It was both exhausting and nerve-racking somehow. She just hoped her mom would be in a good mood by the time she came back home. There were times when the parents would have an off day at work and they'd come back home really down. Today would definitely be the worst day for her mom to have an off day.

She was brought out of her thoughts when she heard a knock at her door.

'It's open!' she informed.

'Hi, there,' Amy said as she entered her daughter's room.

'Oh, hey, Mom,' Liz said as she sat up straight on her bed. 'You had work? Dad found your note.'

'Oh, yeah,' Amy said as she joined her daughter on the bed, 'I had to arrest this guy - bar owner who let underage kids drink knowingly.'

If it was possible, the nervousness probably doubled inside Liz once she heard her mother. Suddenly she realized that she'd also have to tell her about what she was doing when the event happened. This was so messed up. Maybe if she would be honest immediately...

'And it was the bar you were in today.'

All of a sudden, the room seemed to be losing oxygen. Liz lost her breath. Her mom knew? How? Was she in the bar at the same time?'

'Mom - '

'Liz, I heard you talking to your dad,' she informed immediately, knowing what her question would be, and clearing her confusion too.

'Oh...' Liz said softly, a bit calmer now, 'So... Does that mean you also heard about Mark?'

'Yeah...' 

'Mom, I'm so sorry... I don't- I don't know what I was thinking - '

'Liz,' Amy cut her off immediately, holding her hands just to tell her to be calm, 'It wasn't your fault.'

'But I was drinking and talking with him.'

'So? Every girl who drinks and talks with a guy means she's asking for a kiss?'

'I guess not...'

'Liz, it wasn't your fault, okay. I mean, sometimes, yeah, girls and guys want the other person to kiss them but they're too scared and that's different. But you said you didn't want to - no means no.'

'Thanks,' she said softly, giving a weak smile to her mom. 

'How're you feeling?'

'Oh... Bit scared... Bit embarrassed... I don't know how to explain it.'

'It's okay, I know how you're feeling.'

'You do?'

Amy sighed as she shifted closer to her daughter. 'Liz,' she said, 'One thing you'll realize soon is that every girl goes through this. And I know things are changing, but they're changing way too slowly. It's happened to me, to Rosa, maybe even to your friends, every woman you see walking on the street... It just doesn't stop.'

'Mom, I had no idea you've gone through something like this. Even Aunt Rosa? I mean, she's the scariest person I know!'

'Yeah, well, guys don't care. They just see you're a girl and they immediately objectify you.'

'Wow... I mean, I'd heard about it and I've known that it's a problem... Just didn't really expect it to happen to me...'

'I know, sweetie, I know...'

'So, is this something I should always be worried about, Mom? Every time I'm out with my friends?'

'Well, I so hope you don't, Liz... But unfortunately, you're gonna have to be aware of a few people. Don't get me wrong, not all men are like that, of course not. I mean, just look at your dad. Never, and I mean never, have I ever had to set boundaries around him. He just knew what's right and wrong. Sure, I had to tell him about the reality of being of woman, and he just listened. He just listened and protected me. Not in the sexist you're-a-female-you-can't-stand-on-your-own way, it was more like I'm-always-gonna-be-here-for-you sort of way. And then he started looking after you the same way too. I'm just giving your dad's example 'cause you know him well, but trust me, Liz, there are other extremely understanding and smart guys too. So don't think all guys are like Mark, okay?'

'Okay... Mom, but what about Mac and Harry?'

'What about them?'

'I mean, they're good, right? Like, they know about the dos and the don'ts? 'Cause, I swear, I'm gonna kill them if they do something like this to a girl.'

'Liz, trust me, your brothers aren't like that. And I'm not saying that just because I'm their mom; I'm saying that because they've had the talk with your dad.'

' _The talk_?' she asked curiously.

'Yeah... Remember that time you and I had our own secret talk when you were going through some changes?'

'Yeah...?'

'Well, Jake's had those with Mac and Harry too, you know. And he's told them everything from respecting women to bodily changes.'

'Ew! Mom, can we please not talk about my brothers going through puberty!' Liz requested, cringing at her mother's words.

'Right, sorry,' Amy said sheepishly. 'My point is,' she continued, 'Your brothers are good, they're not gonna do something like that. And, you know, more boys need to have talks like these with their parents. Also, if I'm really honest, Mark never had the talk with his parents either.'

Hearing her words, Liz immediately turned to her mother confused. 'How are you so sure about that?' she asked.

'Well, I drove up to the Carey's, and - '

'Oh, my God! Mom!' Liz shouted in exasperation, 'You can't just drive up to them after this! How do you even have their address?'

'Well, I'm an N.Y.P.D. captain, I can literally search up anyone. Also, if someone treats a daughter like that, they're definitely gonna have to expect an angry mother at their doorstep. And it was necessary, alright? I mean, his parents were appalled at what he did, but they did admit that they never talked to him about anything. So, I sat them all down, and gave all three of them _the talk_.'

'Oh, my God! Seriously?'

'Yeah, and I don't care how uncomfortable they felt, because it was necessary. And he's probably gonna call you soon and apologize in person.'

'Wow...'

'But,' she cut in sternly, 'No meeting with him, or anyone else, in a bar.'

'Oh, right...' she said weakly, remembering the second part of the conversation.

'Now, going to a bar, that I am disappointed in, Liz. We've taught you so well, and you're a good person. You used to be scared to stay up past midnight and now you're already drinking?'

'I know, I know,' Liz said, disappointed in herself, 'I just... I don't know... Stacie and Alex are the only two people that get along with me cause we're all nerds and... Stacie seems to be breaking apart from us and we talked about how we need to socialize and get out of this nerd shell and that's how we got in touch with Shannon and - '

'Woah, sweetie, calm down, calm down,' Amy cooed as she rubbed her back soothingly.

'I'm sorry,' she said with a sigh.

'Liz, again, I know what it feels like. I mean, you know I'm a nerd too. I had one friend in school, just one. And it hurt so bad every time people would just ignore me because I wasn't _cool enough_ or something along those lines. But, you know, as I grew older, I realized it didn't matter. It didn't matter one bit. Because as time went on, I found people who liked me for who I am. And they weren't nerds, but they accepted me. And it was all so worth it because then I made the N.Y.P.D., which I always wanted, and I even met an incredible guy along the way and we then had three amazing children... My point is, if you're worried about not making friends, you're so wrong. You're just 18. All your aunts and uncles, who're in the N.Y.P.D. I met them in my late twenties and they're the best people I know. But the most important thing is that you don't change for them, alright? You're a beautiful, smart girl, and, yeah, you're nerdy. So what? That's who you are and that's what makes you perfect.'

'Thanks, Mom,' Liz said, tightly hugging her and pressing her eyes shut, just to make sure the tears didn't stream down.

'You're also really brave,' Amy whispered into her ear.

'What do you mean?' Liz asked.

'It took me years to finally tell someone what I'd been through, but you told it immediately. I know it's not easy, Liz, and I'm so proud of you.'

'Thanks, Mom,' she said again as they parted.

'Of course, I've always known you're brave ever since you went to get your first shot with us. Oh, it's so clear in my mind: You were two and you were tinier than what Mac and Harry had been at your age. Jake was ready with your Tom and Jerry plush toys. But you didn't cry, at all. You just laughed and laughed and laughed...'

At this point both of them were laughing softly at the story.

'I love you so much, Elizabeth,' Amy said as she caressed her face.

'Love you too, Mom.'

'Alright, sleep now, alright? You've had a long day, and you need the rest,' Amy said as she got up to leave.

'Alright, goodnight, Mom.'

'Goodnight, Liz.'

***

She'd just returned from flossing her teeth when she heard her phone buzz. At first she expected it to be Mark texting her an apology, but one she checked, a small smile crept on her face after realizing what it was.

**LIZ! YOU THINK MAC IS A BETTER BROTHER THAN ME????? I'VE HELPED YOU WITH EVERY SINGLE HOMEWORK EVER AND I HAVE IMPECCABLE GRAMMAR. ALL THAT JACKASS DOES IS PLAY PRANKS ON US....**

There were another twenty lines or so but she wasn't gonna go through all of it. Leaving it as 'seen' would drive him even more crazy.

Yeah, all was fine as long as these four were there for her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Credit goes to AmeliaScott54 for this for request. I know you requested this a long time back, I hope it was worth the wait :) (Also, hope you're enjoying the IPL season)
> 
> Important info: PLEASE NO REQUESTS! It isn't that I don't like your request, of course not! I love all of them! But I've put the limit of chapters at 75 and I've got just enough requests to reach there. Thank you for all the requestd you've given me at all points in this series. I am extremely grateful.
> 
> Please feel free to leave comments and kudos if you wish.
> 
> Thank you so much!!


	73. Best Brother Ever

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mac has several questions regarding the new addition to the family.

'Here you go,' Jake said as he gave his wife a glass of water.

'Thanks,' Amy said with a small smile as she accepted it.

'You sure you're okay?' he asked as he got into his side of the bed.

'Yes.'

'You really sure? I mean, I get that it's common, but you threw up. Like, a lot! Probably the whole dinner. You sure you don't need to eat anything else?'

Amy smiled as she reached for her husband's hand. There was genuine concern in his eyes and his voice, and she felt so lucky that she had Jake loving her and caring for her constantly. 'If I'm being honest, babe,' she began, 'I think you should've been more concerned if I hadn't thrown up. I'm pregnant after all.' She then placed his hand on her belly, where their child - son, to be specific - was growing.

'Yeah,' he said, his turn to smile now, 'I guess you are right.'

'Mmm-hmm,' she nodded in agreement, 'Plus, now we also know that Harry doesn't like tuna.'

'God, I hope that's only for now,' Jake said with a small laugh before sliding down their mattress. The action caught Amy by surprise at first, but as she felt his hands slide under her T-shirt and on her belly, she understood what he was trying to do. The smile returned to her lips when she felt her husband placing soft, brief kisses on the baby bump. 'You see, Harry,' Jake began speaking to the baby inside, 'I love tuna. I actually love all meats. So, I hope you were just messing with Mommy today by making her run to the bathroom and heave.'

'Oh, already manipulating our baby, are we, Peralta?' Amy asked.

'Well, yeah,' Jake affirmed as he looked up to face her, 'Otherwise he's just gonna agree with you on everything.'

'Oh, don't you dare provoke a pregnant woman, Jake. You know better than that,' she warned.

'I'm just kidding, Ames,' he reassured her before facing the baby bump again. 'Mommy's pretty incredible, Harry,' he continued, 'She once chased down a perp in a wedding dress. That's how amazing she is. And she gave birth to your brother too, who is also pretty fun. But Mommy will always protect you, and always love you.'

There was nothing much Amy could do but get teary eyed. On the one hand, her hormones were all over the place, but on the other hand, her husband talking to their unborn son was something so sweet, let alone the beautiful things he'd just told him. It was so hard to not let her heart burst right there with all the love. She scratched the top of his head lightly, the curls getting softly tangled in her nails. God, she loved those curls and she would love for Harry to have those genes, after all, they suited Jake and Mac perfectly. 

'It's perfect,' she said softly.

'What?' Jake asked as he faced her.

'This is perfect,' she clarified, 'You talking to our unborn son is perfect.'

'Well, I do mean what I'm telling him.'

'I love you.'

'Love you too,' he said, gently holding her hands, and kissing each of her fingertips, something so simple, yet so cherished by his wife.

'Alright, I'm gonna sleep now.'

'What? Already?'

'Excuse me, but being pregnant is tiring.'

'True,' Jake said as he realized. 'Would you look at that, Harry?' he said to the baby bump again, 'You made Mommy tired.' He again looked up to find that Amy had fallen asleep already in just a matter of mere seconds. 

It was both surprising and unsurprising together somehow. But she looked peaceful, so happy, so content. She was the reason he had a family, something he'd never be able to thank her enough in both actions or words. He knew being pregnant was never gonna be easy, especially given that she was in the age range where pregnancies could be complicated. But they'd both agreed that they'd keep it. And so far, there were almost no hiccups, and that's exactly how they intended to keep it. But even after the birth, their doctor had already told them about how it would be different this time around as compared to the first. Amy, particularly, might have more pains and be more tired. IT just wasn't fair, Jake thought, how she would have to go through so much, but he was having it much easier.

'Hey, Harry,' he said to the bump again, 'I know you're probably gonna cry a lot once you're here but... Let's not give Mommy too much trouble, okay?' He stayed there silently, almost waiting for a response. In reality, though, he was still worried about his wife. 'Actually, you're just gonna be a baby,' he said as a matter of fact, 'So, cry as much as you want, but don't expect Mommy to come every time. She'll need the rest, so I'll come and tell you all the amazing stories, okay?'

'Daddy?'

Jake paused again. This time he had got a response. But he was pretty sure it was just a call in his head. But then...

'Daddy?'

The sound was louder, and more impatient, and nearer. It was familiar too, very, very familiar. And when he looked up, Jake groaned at himself for not realizing that the sound came from no one else but his son.

'Hey, buddy, what's up?' he asked.

'You said you were gonna read me a story after going to Mommy,' the three-year old said simply.

Jake sighed as he remembered what he was supposed to do and what he had done. The plan was for Jake to put their son to bed since Amy needed the rest more. But the moment he had finished brushing Mac's teeth, Amy's retches were heard throughout the house and Jake had left to take care of his wife. In the conversation regarding and with their unborn baby, he'd completely forgotten about their other baby - the one who was patiently waiting for him to read a bedtime story. To put it short, Jake was disgusted at himself for forgetting about Mac. Balancing both kids was something he and Amy had talked about, but the fact that he'd forgotten one child even before the second one had made him doubt himself.

'I'm so sorry, Mac,' he said softly as he got up and sat straight, 'Mommy wasn't feeling well so I had to take care of her. I can read you a story now.'

'Mmm.. S'okay, Daddy,' Mac said, 'What were you doing with Baby Brother?'

'What?'

'You were playing with Mommy's tummy, where baby brother sleeps.'

'Oh,' Jake chuckled to himself after listening to Mac's description. The description was spot on, but if he'd not done it, it sounded like something Mac had dreamt of rather than seen. 'I was talking to the baby,' he explained.

'How?' he asked, the concept seeming to have confused him.

'The same way I'm talking to you.'

'But Baby Brother is inside Mommy's tummy.'

'I know, but...' There was no way to explain it, really. Because it was unexplainable. 'Why don't you come up on bed?' he asked after getting an idea.

'Okay.'

After climbing onto the bed, which was not easy for a three-year old, Jake helped him onto his lap, adjusting their position, so that they faced Amy's belly.

'Talk to him,' Jake said softly.

'What?' Mac asked innocently, looking up at his father.

'Talk to him,' Jake said again, 'Come on, give it a try.'

The three-year old looked over to the baby bump again skeptically. As far as he knew, his baby brother was sleeping in his mother's tummy and would only wake up when he was too big to fit in there anymore. To talk to him seemed absurd to say the least. How was he supposed to talk? What was he supposed to say?

'H-Hi, Baby Brother,' he said, softly stroking where his brother rested for now, 'My name's Mac. It's short for McClane... Daddy this is weird...'

'It's okay, you're doing great!' Jake encouraged, letting Mac know this by softly stroking his little arm. To say he was proud of his son would be an understatement. At that moment, he didn't know what he felt. Pregnancies were something adults could not comprehend, let alone toddlers. But Mac was no ordinary toddler - he was his and Amy's toddler, whom they had taught so well. He had spoken just a few lines, and, yes, they may have only been introductory, but he did it. He just wanted to treasure this moment forever.

'I don't... I don't want to... It's too weird.'

'Okay, okay,' Jake conceded, maybe that was enough for today. Baby steps, right?

'What do you talk about?' Mac asked.

'What?'

'With Baby Brother,' he clarified, 'What do you talk with him?'

'Oh... Just about simple things - who I am, who his mother and brother are, how much I love him, how excited I am.'

'When will he get his name?'

Jake sighed at the question. It was a perfectly fine question, but he and Amy had promised not to tell Mac the name yet. They loved their son, but if the last two birthdays, Mother's Day, and Father's Day were anything to go by, it was that he could not keep a secret. So far, Mac was calling him 'Baby Brother', which was adorable to everyone else.

'He'll get his name when he gets here,' Jake answered.

'How will he get here?'

Oh, God. Jake really could use Amy's help here. After all, he was pretty sure she was the source of those curious genes. It wasn't the first time Mac asked question after question, but it probably was the first time he did with only one parent able to answer him. It didn't help that the questions were more or less complicated. Usually, his questions would be along the lines of 'How can I become a pirate?' or 'Why does Goofy hiccup so much?' Today, though, the questions seemed to revolve around the pregnancy of his mother only. And how no earth was Jake supposed to explain the birth plan to a kid?

'Well,' he began, still unsure of where his answer was headed, 'One day, Mommy will feel a lot of pain where Baby Brother is sleeping, and we'll take her to the hospital. Then the doctors will do some magic and Baby Brother will be out.'

'Will that hurt Mommy?' he asked softly as he looked at the sleeping figure next to him.

'I'm afraid so, yeah.'

'Then, Daddy,' he spoke again as he shifted to look up, 'Why don't you give the birth?'

'Oh, Buddy, I wish I could and let Mommy rest,' Jake said with a soft laugh, 'But only Mommy can give the birth.'

'Oh... I don't want Mommy to be hurt,' he said again as he looked at his sleeping mother.

'Yeah... Me neither, Mac... But you know something?' he asked, grabbing his son's attention.

'What?' he asked eagerly.

'Mommy is the strongest person in the whole world. And she's gonna do a great job of giving birth to your baby brother.'

'Mommy's the best!' he exclaimed, smiling and laughing.

'Exactly! But even the best people need help sometimes. So, when Baby Brother gets here, you need to be a big boy and help Mommy as much as you can, alright?'

'Like how?'

'Like... Oh! When Mommy's warming the milk to feed him you can help her. Or when she's tired, you can play with him.'

'That sounds fun... I'm gonna be the best brother ever!'

'Yeah, you are,' Jake said with a warm smile, before planting a kiss in his head.

'Mmm... Daddy, I'm sleepy now... Can I sleep here with you and Mommy?'

'Oh... Yeah, sure, but you might have to sleep next to me.'

'Why not in the middle?' he asked, slightly annoyed.

'Because if you move, you know, you might kick Baby Brother by accident and - '

'Oh, come on, Jake, we both know that's not gonna happen.'

Both the boys turned around to look at the person who made the comment. Amy looked fast asleep, but apparently she wasn't.

'Mommy! You're awake!' Mac said excitedly, stretching out to reach for her.

'Sh... Baby, baby, not so loud,' Amy said as she helped him lay next to her, 'Mommy's still tired.'

'Sorry, Mommy,' he said, almost guilty he had ruined her sleep.

'That's okay,' she said as she kissed his nose. 'Go to sleep now, alright?'

'Okay. Goodnight, Mommy. Goodnight, Daddy.'

'Sleep tight, sweetie,' she wished as she enveloped him.

'How long have you been awake?' Jake asked as he lay his head down on his pillow.

'Never really fell asleep,' she answered. 'Now, you tell me, did you really thing Mac was gonna kick in his sleep?'

'I don't know,' he said with a sigh, 'I just got worried... It was one of those _What if_ scenarios.'

'And are you really that worried that I won't get enough rest once the baby comes?'

'Honestly... Kinda. Ames, you're the most amazing mom. I mean, you spend so much time with Mac, it's incredible. But that all changes when the baby gets here... Then you'll have to spend more time with him rather than Mac and so will I... I'm not saying that's wrong, but... I just don't know how we can manage all this without one of us getting over exhausted.'

'Jake,' Amy said softly, one hand reaching for his under the cover, 'We managed our relationship when you were in WITSEC and when you were in prison. We managed our one hell of a disaster of a wedding. We managed balancing work and personal life. And add Mac to that now. We can manage this too. And I know it's scary, because of course it is. But it's good scary, y'know? Like the wedding jitters before walking down the aisle. Trust me, we got this, especially with this little guy being _the best brother ever_.'

'You heard that, huh?' he asked with a small smile.

'Oh, yeah,' she said with a small laugh, remembering the cute proclamation from just minutes ago.

'But you're right - we got this.'

Yup, they were incredible parents. And they just got better as they had more children. And Mac, Harry and Liz were everything Jake and Amy had ever hoped for and more. The were the best children and siblings ever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kudos to Cam for this adorable request!! Arghh I'm still smiling from writing this!! Hope you liked it just as much :)
> 
> Important info: PLEASE NO REQUESTS! It isn't that I don't like your request, of course not! I love all of them! But I've put the limit of chapters at 75 and I've got just enough requests to reach there. Thank you for all the requestd you've given me at all points in this series. I am extremely grateful.
> 
> Please feel free to leave comments and kudos if you wish.
> 
> Thank you so much!!


	74. A Big Misunderstanding

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Running into your boyfriend's ex is bound to be awkward, not to mention make you jealous....

'Why is it so friggin' cold?' Amy asked, all hunched and both hands gathering whatever warmth she could gather from her coffee cup, as she entered the elevator of their precinct.

'Hey, don't blame me,' Jake said as he followed her, 'I did suggest we bunk, and just cuddle in bed the whole day.'

'For the last time, Jake, we work at the same precinct. If both of us don't come to work, literally everyone will know we're faking an illness or something,' she explained. 'Oh, fourth floor,' she told him.

'Oh, what, I'm your elevator operator now?' he asked in mock offense, but still did it, after all he had to reach the same floor (and because he liked his girlfriend).

'Sorry,' she said with a wry smile, 'I just don't want to get either hand off my coffee.'

'It's probably for the best,' he said with a shrug, 'Especially now that I know how cold you get. By the way, it was so unnecessary for you to put your foot down my neck last night.'

'Well, you were the one who kept hogging the blanket and didn't believe me when I said I felt cold.'

'Still, you could've just pulled back. I mean, how did you even... bend into that position?'

'What can I say? I'm flexible,' she said with a smirk, but also giving him a wink, mainly to serve as a reminder of the events of last night after the little 'discovery' Jake had made.

Jake was ready to say something back, but the elevator door opened to their floor, and he knew better than to continue their sexy banter in front of their friends and the entire precinct. He'd tried it before, and it resulted in Amy withholding sex for a week. To his defense, he thought they were alone in the evidence room, only to find out Rosa and Charles were in there too. Rosa was disgusted, Charles was delighted, Amy was furious, and he was embarrassed. Yup, not one of their finest hours.

But when they did step into the bullpen, something else caught their attention. Almost every detective was at their desk, opening, what seemed like, wedding invitations.

'Hey, guys, what're you all opening?' Jake asked as he and Amy made their way to their desk.

'Oh, Jake, look!' Charles said excitedly, waving his envelope, 'It's Katie's wedding invitation!'

'Who's Katie?' Amy asked as she picked up the invitation on her desk.

'She used to be a detective here.'

'Yeah, this was before you joined the Nine-Nine,' Jake informed as he opened his invite.

.

'So, you gonna RSVP "yes"?' Gina asked.

'Um... I guess.' He then turned to Amy before asking, 'Do you wanna, like, be my date?'

Even before Amy could answer that, Charles shouted, 'Come on, Jakey! Make it more romantic than that! Maybe even slip in a proposal?'

'Boyle!'

***

Wedding Day:

Amy loved weddings. It had everything - love, happiness, tradition, games, dances, the odd drama. Secretly, she also loved weddings because she always believed they were opportunities to plan out her perfect wedding. She could go the wedding and have a good time, and then she could come back home and write all the pros and cons from the entire wedding. To make things better, she was going to the wedding with Jake Peralta. It may have only been a couple of months since they became an item, but she was so sure this relationship felt different than all the other relationships she ever had. And she meant that in a good way. She'd not been this happy in such a long time, and she just wanted it to continue. If everything were to go according to her life calendar, Jake and her were definitely gonna get married one day.

'Ames?' she heard her boyfriend call through the apartment. All of a sudden she remembered that she to put on mascara and not daydream about the future.

'I'm in the bathroom!' she answered.

She could hear his footsteps get louder with each step, obviously making his way to her. She just hoped she looked good enough for him today. She definitely didn't want to meet an old friend of his and embarrass him.

'Wow...'

She slightly turned to look at Jake's reflection in the mirror and, man, did he look hot in his tuxedo. Somehow she got even more nervous that she didn't look good enough for the occasion.

'Amy,' he said as he approached her from behind, 'You look... You look amazing.'

'Really?'

'Of course.'

Jake didn't really understand why she seemed so surprised. She looked beautiful, and he told her that everyday. It didn't matter what she was wearing or where they were, he always found her to be the most beautiful person in the world.

'I'm just nervous,' she confessed.

'Why?'

'Because,' she said as she let out an exasperated sigh, 'All of you know Katie. I'm gonna be, like, the outside member of the group.'

'Ames, it's not gonna be like that,' he reassured her, 'I mean, Katie's gonna be with Ethan anyway, she'll be busy. Trust me, it's just gonna be our group.'

'Promise?'

'I promise,' he said, kissing her cheek to further reassure her. 'So, do you wanna go immediately or....?'

'Or what?'

'You know...'

'I don't.'

Of course she knew what he was getting at. She just wanted to play games with him. Honestly, it was adorably hilarious the more desperate he'd get. Jake, on the other hand, was not one to play games. If it was Amy who'd have asked him the same question, he'd almost definitely have pushed her into her bedroom without a moment's hesitation. He was just hoping she'd agree immediately, or it would be one heck of a challenge to suppress his desires the entire day. But Amy Santiago was never one to cave in easily, so Jake went to his go-to move - kissing and sucking on her neck, of course not too much to leave a mark there. And as far as he could tell, it was working yet again. Amy had subconsciously guided them to her bedroom. Next thing she knew, she had peeled Jake's coat off. But it was when Jake only slightly displaced the pendant, which she wore only on special occasions, she had around her neck that she realized what they were _supposed_ to do as opposed to _what_ they were doing. The accessory had only been displaced by a few centimeters, but if there was one person who could detect even the slightest coolness in objects, it was going to be her.

'J- Jake..' she stuttered, still giving into her what her body was craving for, 'S.. St.. Stop....'

Almost like an off switch had been found, Jake froze. His face was just mere inches away from hers, and they both could feel the heat radiated off each other. But Jake had got the order, he was not going to challenge that.

'Amy... I... I'm sorry... I didn't mean to - '

'No, no, it's fine,' she quickly assured him. God, she was lucky to be with him. But she also felt slightly guilty that she made him feel like he had done something against her will. 

'Are you sure?' he asked with his puppy eyes, clearly worried he'd done something wrong.

'No, Jake, I didn't tell you to stop because I'm not into it. I mean, I want to... _So bad_.... But we're gonna be late.' Amy could see him let out a breath that he was holding back, more of relief than anything else. 

'Alright, let's go,' he said as he got up and helped her too.

'You don't need to worry, you know,' she told him.

'What?'

'I'm just saying,' she said as they walked out of the bedroom, 'You're a good person, I know you're not gonna do something wrong like that.'

'I just... I just don't want to make you feel uncomfortable.'

'Trust me,' she said as she picked up her coat, 'I am the most comfortable with you.'

'That helps,' he said with a small smile as he helped her.

'You better make me feel good after we return back,' she said coyly, into his ear, nibbling his ear a bit.

***

The ceremony was beautiful. The groomsmen and bridesmaid looked perfect together, the vows were beautiful, the décor was lovely. Of course, Amy was making mental notes, hopefully, for the future. and the reception was just as beautiful as well so far. Everything just seemed to be perfect when Jake was next to her. But when they had made their way to their table, they realized that there was an extra seat.

'All of us are here, right?' she asked as she looked around the table to see if anyone was missing.

'Yeah, I wonder why there's an extra seat,' Jake said.

'Oh, Lord, don't tell me Hitchcock or Scully is gonna join us,' Gina said with absolute disgust.

'Maybe one of you was supposed to bring a plus one.'

'Oh, would you stop rubbing it in our faces?' Gina lashed out.

'What?' he asked confused.

'So, you have a girlfriend. Big deal. She's a nerd!'

'Hey!' Amy let her know about both her presence and how she was offended.

'Maybe it's just a mistake,' Charles suggested, 'I'm sure they'll take it away.'

It wasn't even a minute that Charles had said that when they heard someone say, 'Jake? Gina?'

All five members turned to the source to find a woman, seemingly of their age group, standing behind the empty seat and smiling at them. Judging by her dress and jewelry, she seemed well off and she was proud to show off. But, again, they were at a wedding, people were bound to be wearing their best clothes and donning their finest accessories.

'Carol?' Jake asked as he got up. 'Wow, long time no see,' he said as he gave her a hug, before Gina proceeded to do the same.

'I know, it's been a while,' she agreed, 'And it's so nice that you're all at the same table... Charles, and Rosa, and... I'm sorry, I don't remember you,' she said when she came to Amy.

'Oh, Carol, this is Amy, my girlfriend,' Jake said with a warm smile. He loved introducing Amy to others as his girlfriend, and,, truth be told, she did too.

'Oh, that's... great!' Carol said, the last word being stressed weirdly, giving Amy a bad feeling about her.

'Carol used to work at the Nine-Nine too, along with Katie,' Jake informed Amy.

'Oh, it's so nice to meet you,' she said while offering her her hand.

'Mmm... Likewise....' Carol said, clearly faking everything in her voice and expression.

***

'So, you guys are still at the Nine-Nine?' Carol asked them.

'Oh, yeah. Nine-Nine!' Jake chanted.

'Nine-Nine!' they all cheered after him.

'Hmm... Not quite as good as the way Terry says it...' Jake said softly.

'Yeah, where is Terry anyway?' Carol asked.

'Oh, he's at some seminar this week.'

'Oh... And what about you?' she asked Amy.

'I'm sorry?' she asked, confused.

'Where do you work?'

'Oh, I'm at the Nine-Nine too,' she said proudly.

'Really? So you were the one who they replaced me with?'

There it was again. Why was her tone so condescending towards her? It'd been like that they entire night. Was she feeling threatened that she had replaced the missing void in their friend group? It couldn't be. Maybe Amy was just overthinking too much.

'Amy's a really great detective,' Jake complimented, making Amy smile. There just was something so sweet the way he would become her hype man in front of others. 

'Hmm... I bet...' Carol said, not readily buying it.

***

Eventually, Amy had to leave to the washroom. Carol's tone and stare made her feel like she was under a million microscopes, searching for just an ounce of flaws in her. The judgement and the condescension was all too much for Amy. It reminded of her mother, the way she used to judge he and her brothers every month to see whose frame went where. Of course, David always went on the mantle, he was always the favorite. She certainly didn't appreciate the judging from her mother back then, and she definitely was not appreciating what Carol was doing now either.

'Hey, girl. Whazzup?' Gina asked as she entered the washroom as well.

'Oh, hey, Gina,' Amy said weakly, still trying to breath calmly now that she was free. 

'You look pale,' she commented.

'Oh... I'm sure it's nothing.'

'Seriously though, is something wrong? You've seemed flustered all night.'

So the others had noticed. Was it really that bad? And Amy really could use someone to talk too. Of course, ideally, it would be Jake, but Carol seemed attached to him the whole time, she just figured that it would be best for the two friends to catch up. Gina would actually have been the last person at the table she'd expect to be talking to, but here they were, and Gina was still her friend.

'Okay, is it just me, or has Carol be hard on me all night?'

'Oh, she's definitely been hard on you. She can be a real bitch sometimes.'

'Oh, my God! Thank you!' Amy half-shouted, finally glad that someone had been noticing it all along. 'Maybe it's because I'm outside the original Nine-Nine group?' she suggested.

'Oh, no, it's because she's jealous of you.'

'Jealous of me? Why would she be jealous of me?'

'Because she's Jake's ex-girlfriend,' she said as a matter of fact.

Suddenly, it felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room for Amy. Never in the past two months had she expected to run into her boyfriend's ex. It wasn't such a ridiculous thought to have. For one thing, she and Jake weren't each other's firsts in any aspect. Most of their ex-partners also lived in New York. But who would ask or even think about ex-relationships when the current one they were in was too good to think about anything else?

'She and Jake used to date?' asked asked, just for confirmation.

'Oh, yeah. And she was probably the best girlfriend he ever had.'

'Okay, now you're just kidding,' Amy said with a half-hearted chuckle. But, again, this was Gina Linetti after all. 

'No, I'm serious. I mean, she used to pretend to like Die Hard, and bought the pizza he liked, and they'd flirt a lot at the precinct too...'

Before hearing the end of what Gina had to say, Amy stormed out of the washroom. So she hadn't been joking. Carol and Jake dated, and apparently, she did all the things he liked. The way Carol had been treating her the entire night made sense. Jake probably didn't feel the same for Carol, but Amy just wanted to do one thing now - create a barrier between Jake and Carol.

***

When Amy stepped back into the dining hall, the first thing she did was make a beeline to their table. Surprisingly, Rosa was the only one there; Jake and Carol seemed to be nowhere nearby. She needed answers quickly.

'Rosa, where are Jake and Carol?' she asked quickly, not wanting to waste any time.

'i don't know.... Bar maybe?' she said nonchalantly, clearly oblivious of what was happening inside Amy's head. But even outside, her body language suggested that she was worried and frustrated. 'You alright?' she asked her friend.

'Well, my boyfriend is with his ex-girlfriend, who clearly hates me because she wants to get back with him, and they're at a bar.... So, no, Rosa, I am not alright!'

'Ex-girlfriend? Are you talking about Carol?'

'Oh, my God! Yes! I'm talking about Carol! Do I need to connect all the dots for you?' Oh, she was really pouring all her frustration out on Rosa. Of course, she didn't mean to, but the idea of another woman being with Jake made her crazy. 'Okay, sorry,' she said, composing herself a bit, 'But I really need to get to Jake before anything else happens.'

'Wait, Amy - '

'Can't talk, on the move!' she said quickly, before heading straight to the bar.

***

There they were - at the bar - drinking, and talking, and laughing. All Amy felt was rage. It wasn't directed towards Jake, but rather Carol - the way she'd dismissed her throughout the night just to be alone with Jake disgusted her. And apparently, she was the best girlfriend Jake ever had. Amy wanted that title for herself. But more than that, she wanted Carol away from Jake as soon as possible.

'Hi, there,' she said while squeezing herself in between the two people at the bar.

'Oh, hey, Ames,' Jake said delightedly. Carol, on the other hand, clearly changed her smile from natural to exaggerated upon the arrival of a third party. 'We were just talking about you,' he informed her.

'Really? What about?'

'About who the better partner was,' Carol said.

'Oh, and your answer?' she asked her boyfriend. 'Oh, and remember,' she said as she wrapped an arm around his shoulder, ' _I'm your girlfriend_.' She made sure to stress that part, not to influence the answer, but to warn Carol to back off.

'Oh, definitely, you,' he said quickly, thinking the stress was directed to him. 'But I had some good times with Carol too, y'know,' he added.

'What?' she asked in disbelief.

'I'm just saying, I like you, but it was different with Carol.'

'You can't be serious,' she said with a small chuckle, hoping he was just kidding, but she only got a confused expression from her boyfriend.

'Amy, I'm just saying - '

'No, I get what you're saying,' she said angrily as she got up. 'And I hope you're happy that you've succeeded,' she said to Carol before leaving in a huff.

***

Smoking was one of Amy's guilty pleasures, and it was an open secret. It was her last resort to calm her down, and it helped more often than not. Of everything that had happened tonight, Jake saying he liked a few things with Carol was definitely not what she expected. It was such a horrible night - from Gina straight up telling her that she wasn't the best girlfriend Jake had, to Carol and Jake drinking together at the bar. To make things worse, it didn't help that she had to smoke in the cold. A part of her just wished Jake would come and wrap his arms around her and make her feel worm, but another part of her didn't want to see him at all.

'There you are,' a familiar voice said.

'I don't want to see you, Jake,' she said coldly, trying to turn away from him, but it was too cold for her to move even by an inch.

'Amy, come on,' he urged, taking steps closer to her.

'No, I don't want to, okay? Why don't you just go back home with Carol and get back together?'

'Ames, that's not what I meant at the bar, I just...' He let out an exasperated sigh before continuing again, 'Look, I love working with you, alright? I love how we make bets and get competitive but still bring out the best in one another and working on a case with you is just so, so great. But Carol was a good partner too. Sure, she wasn't anywhere as amazing as you are, but I still liked working with her.'

'Wait,' Amy said slowly, 'You were talking about work?'

'Well... Yeah! What did you think we were talking about?'

'Oh, my God, I thought you were talking about partners as in romantic partners. Like, which relationship you liked more.'

'What? Amy, that's insane! Why would you think that?'

'Because Gina told me about you two, okay?!' she shouted, still not fully over it, and receiving a confused look from Jake. 'Look,' she said with a sigh, 'I don't know if you noticed, but the whole night, Carol's been one hell of a bitch to me. And I needed a break from that, so I went to the washroom and I met Gina there and we talked and she told me about you two.'

'Wha- Amy, Carol and I've never been in a relationship.'

'Jake, please don't lie now.'

'No, Amy, I promise, I'm not lying,' he tried convincing her. 'What really happened was,' he explained, 'We were at one of the New Year parties at Shaw's one time, and we got drunk and Carol and I hooked up. But I swear, Ames, that's all that ever happened between her and me.'

'Wait, really?'

'Yeah, I promise.' 

'But then Gina told me about how she was the best girlfriend you ever had and how she did all these things for you like pretending to like Die Hard and getting you pizza from Julianna's.'

'Amy,' Jake said with a small chuckle and taking both her hands in his, 'There's literally been only one girl who's ever done that for me, and she's standing right in front of me.' He then leaned in for a kiss, which Amy reciprocated immediately. Her doubts and worries seemed to melt away as their lips met softly. Every thing seemed to have gone back to normalcy at that moment, and she thought it was perfect. Even after they parted, Amy rested her head on his chest, as Jake wrapped his hand around her, hugging her and keeping her warm.

'What was Gina talking about then?' she asked softly.

'I don't know... Maybe she was drunk,' he suggested, making her laugh, something he loved to hear every time.

'Hey, sorry I ruined your conversation with Carol,' she said as she turned up to face him, 'She just really got on my nerves and when Gina told me she was an ex of yours all these thoughts came to my mind and... I guess I got jealous.'

'Why?' he asked simply.

'Because I like you, Jake, so much. And you've been the perfect boyfriend for the past two months and I like everything you've done for me - from breakfast in bead to sexy timez. I just... I just don't want to imagine you doing the same with someone else.'

'I like you too, Amy. And, hey, you're an amazing girlfriend too. But you don't need to feel jealous, alright? Believe me, I never really did most of those activities with anyone else. I only did them for you, 'cause, you know, you're awesome and I don't want you to leave me even for the slightest of mistakes.... But I get it. I mean, I'd be jealous if we were to run into one of your exes.'

'Even Teddy?'

' _Especially_ Teddy,' he said directly. 'But,' he continued, 'I suppose we are still early in this relationship, so I guess it'll take us some time till we can talk about the topic of our exes freely.'

'Yeah, probably... Thanks for understanding.'

'No problem,' he said, before planting a kiss on her head. 'You wanna go home now?' he asked.

'Oh, yeah, definitely,' she agreed. As they walked towards their parking lot, hand in hand, Amy turned to her boyfriend once more, calling, 'Hey, Jake?'

'Yeah?'

'Just a heads up - when we get to my place, I'm gonna do something to you that I've never done before with anyone. _Be prepared_.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you, Shauna, for this request. I love jealous Amy, I just think she'd be adorable, because she's adorable in every situation. Wish we'd see more of jealous Amy Santiago on the show.
> 
> Important info: PLEASE NO REQUESTS! It isn't that I don't like your request, of course not! I love all of them! But I've put the limit of chapters at 75 and I've got just enough requests to reach there. Thank you for all the requestd you've given me at all points in this series. I am extremely grateful.
> 
> Please feel free to leave comments and kudos if you wish.
> 
> Thank you so much!!


	75. What Might Have Been

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jake and Amy reminisce about their past and think about their future after getting some news.

'Right... Now just gotta wait for a couple of minutes...' Amy muttered to herself as she sat on the edge of the bathtub.

She'd done this before several times. Most times it came back with negative results and twice with positive ones. But this was weird; she didn't know what result she wanted. There were times when she wanted the result to be positive and it came out negative, but she was able to try again afterwards. Today, though, she did not know what she wanted. She just wanted the two minutes to pass by and get to the result. But she had no control over time. She just tapped her foot impatiently and bit her bottom lip in anticipation. It did not help her cause that she had a doctor's appointment. No, not with her gynecologist, but rather with her general physician. It was just a full physical, just like any other she'd gotten every other year since turning forty. But taking a pregnancy test before meeting your doctor in minutes was ridiculous, and even she knew it.

'Mommy, can you braid my hair?'

The familiar and sweet voice of her daughter caught her by surprise, making her fall off the already uncomfortable edge. She looked up to find her daughter standing at the bathroom entrance, holding a little rubber band. As far as Amy could tell, her daughter had not noticed anything unusual or suspicious, but she did make a mental note to closs the door as soon as she found out a way to divert her.

'Liz, sweetie, I'm a bit busy,' she tried.

'But you're sitting on the floor.'

She wasn't wrong; Amy was on the bathroom floor. Perhaps that would be the weirdest place to sit anywhere in their house. She glanced at her watch and saw that just under a minute was left. She needed to get Liz out of there.

'I'm, um.... Oh! I'm gonna clean the bathtub!' she said as she saw the scrub from the corner of her eye before reaching out for it. It came out more as a realization rather than a declaration, but a three-year old was not going to notice the difference.

'But I want you to braid my hair,' she persisted.

'Sorry, sweetie,' Amy said, now scrubbing the inside of the bathtub aimlessly, 'But I'm sure Daddy will do it.'

That seemed to do the trick as Liz simply turned back. She did look a bit disappointed but Amy could not risk it right now, not with _ten... nine... eight... seven... six... five... four... three... two... one..._

***

Did she want that result? She wasn't sure, but it was what she got. Was it what Jake would want? She hadn't even told him that she was taking a test, how would he react to that part first? She had to tell him quickly before leaving for her appointment. 

As she made her way downstairs, she could hear her sons playing in the living room.

'I'm a monkey!' Mac declared, walking on all fours and jumping from couch to couch and cushion to cushion.

'You're an ape!' Harry corrected, but still following the actions of his brother.

'Boys, you're both monkeys!' Jake declared from his place on the couch, where, was braiding his daughter's hair, just as she had wanted.

'Apes!' Harry corrected, making his father smile. He was so much like Amy - smart and stubborn, not wanting to shy away from facts.

Amy, too, smiled as she observed all this. It was lovely to see her boys playing and her husband braiding their daughter's hair. It was, in her eyes, the most beautiful scene ever. Every time she saw these four together, she would realize how luck she was, and thank God or fate for giving her this. She really did not want to ruin the scene, but she had no choice.

'Hey,' she said softly as she entered the room.

'Oh, hey,' Jake said, looking up briefly from Liz to give her a smile, 'I thought you already left.'

'Yeah, no, I'll leave in a few minutes.... I just need to talk to you about something.'

'Oh, sure, just give me a minute.... There! How's that, Liz?' Jake asked as he held a mirror in front of the infant.

'I like it! Thank you, Daddy!' she said, standing up a bit to give him a little kiss on the cheek.

'You're welcome. Now, why don't you go play with your brothers?'

'Actually, Jake, um, can we talk in private?' Amy asked.

***

'So, listen,' she began as they stepped out of the hallway, 'I kinda have to tell you something right away before I go for the physical and - '

'Amy, for the hundredth time, if you don't feel good, you don't need to join us at the zoo after. Just come back home and rest, alright?'

'No, not that,' she said quickly, 'I just.... How would you feel if we had another baby?'

'What?' he asked, a bit confused.

'You know, a baby... A fourth child.'

'Amy, I love being a dad, and I love our kids, but... A fourth? I'm not sure.'

'Oh...'

'I mean, we are pretty great parents, but I get tired sometimes, and sometimes I just wish it's us.'

'Got it...'

'Plus, you know, it would be pretty expensive. I mean, can we even afford it?'

'Right... So, if I were to somehow get pregnant, how would you take it?'

'Well... I don't really know... I guess it would just depend on how I feel once you're really pregnant.'

'Well, how do you feel?'

'What do you mean?'

She sighed, not knowing how he didn't understand yet. 'I'm pregnant, Jake,' she whispered softly.

'Wait, are you serious?' he asked a bit cautiously.

'Yeah, I just took the test,' she explained.

Jake looked at her blankly for some time. His expression was stoic too, giving Amy no indication about what was playing in his mind. But then he smiled slowly, making Amy feel a bit better. 'Wait a minute,' he began, 'You're messing with me, aren't you?'

Just like that, the brief relief vanished away. 

'It's like what Holt did on Cinco de Mayo, isn't it? Come on, show me the fake test and the sonogram, Santiago.'

'Jake,' she said softly, 'I'm not joking.'

'Okay, okay, you got me. Now, come on, how'd you plan it.'

That was the last straw. She loved this man for everything. They had gone through two very different but complex pregnancies and one adoption. Yet, today, he was not believing that they were having a fourth child. Was it denial? Even if it was, this was not what she expected of him. Right now, he was being an ass, and she hated him for it.

'Fine, you want to see the pregnancy test?' she asked angrily before searching through her purse. 'Here you go,' she said as she thrusted the little device into his hand, 'It says I'm pregnant. Oh and the sonogram? Guess what? There isn't one because I literally just got to know that I'm pregnant ten minutes ago.'

For a second, Jake had to process everything his wife was telling him. It took a second look at the test and the vexation on his wife's face for him to understand that all of this was real, and that none of it was staged. He wanted the ground to open up and swallow him whole at this point. To make things worse, he saw Amy's eyes get watery, indicating the worst.

'Amy, I... I'm so- '

'Shut up! Just shut up!' she shouted, 'I tell you I'm pregnant and you take it as some joke?! What is wrong with you? Do you know have any idea how I feel? I don't care if you weren't so enthusiastic about a fourth child before I told you. I'd rather you been a nervous wreck than trying to deny my pregnancy, okay?! That's how messed up this is!'

'No, Amy, I don't - '

'Don't make excuses,' she said angrily. 'And if I don't join you all in the afternoon, I assure you, it most definitely won't be because of the physical!' she informed before leaving in a huff.

***

Jake opened the door to his home, letting himself and his three kids to enter. The kids had enjoyed the zoo to say the least. Jake, on the the other hand, did not enjoy it as much as he initially had expected he would. The fight, or rather misunderstanding, with his wife kept on playing in his mind the whole day. He tried his best not to let it show in front of the kids, but it still hurt. Sure, he and Amy had had fights before. That was not new. What was new was that he never expected them to have a misunderstanding over a pregnancy. The first time, and what he hoped would have been the last, it happened was when they were celebrating their first anniversary as a married couple. After all these years, it happened again. 

It seemed Amy had cooled down a little bit, on the basis of a text message he'd received from her after her physical. She'd even signed it with a little 'love you'. Maybe she was feeling bad about the morning too. Regardless, it was his fault and he knew he had to make it better.

'Daddy, I'm hungry,' Mac complained, following his father into the kitchen.

'I know,' Jake said with a soft sigh while placing the brown bag on the island.

'Can we eat now?' 

'Let me just get Mommy down and we can eat together, alright?'

'Mommy's here?' Harry asked, 'Why didn't she come to the zoo?'

Jake sighed again. He wasn't annoyed at his kids; he just knew that the reason Amy didn't join them was probably because of what happened in the morning. The more he thought of it or was reminded of, the worse he felt. 

'She was probably tired,' he reasoned, even though he felt that was not true.

***

Standing at the entrance of the door to their bedroom, Jake admired how Amy was reading a book. It was perhaps the most common thing ever, but he loved it. He loved seeing her doing the things she loved, and seeing her read books just made him happy. She was so into the book that she hadn't even noticed his presence.

'Hey,' he said softly, not wanting to disturb her.

Amy finally looked up to see her husband, a small smile curling on her face immediately. 'Oh, hey,' she said.

'How'd the physical go?' he asked, a bit more confidently this time as he walked over to their bed.

'It was fine.'

The room was silent, and not the peaceful kind. It was awkward, and Jake knew why. He wasn't really sure how to bring up the event of the morning up, but he had to.

'Ames, look,' he said, breaking the silence, and sitting next to her on the bed, 'I'm sorry about today morning. I really am.'

'Oh, Jake, it's alright - '

'No, it's not,' he cut in, 'Look, I know I said I wasn't sure about another kid, and the truth is, I wasn't. But that was before I knew you were pregnant.'

'Jake...'

'No, please, let me finish. This whole day I've been thinking about it and, yeah, I'm excited about another kid, Amy.'

'Jake, just stop,' she said, this time a bit more loudly, catching Jake by surprise. 'Sorry, I'm not mad at you, I'm not,' she reassured him. 'I kinda have something to tell you,' she admitted.

'What is it?'

She looked at him again, the fear and worry was evident in his eyes. She didn't want to see that. He had the most beautiful eyes, and she always wanted them to be happy, not sad. But she was afraid what she had to say would not help her cause.

'I'm not pregnant, Jake,' she said softly.

'What?' he asked, slightly confused.

'I'm not pregnant, it was a false positive.'

'Oh.'

'I'm sorry,' she said in a barely audible whisper.

'Amy, you don't need to be sorry.'

'Yes, I do! I mean, I was the one mad at you for not being enthusiastic enough. And now when you are excited, it turns out it was for nothing.' 

She let out more frustration the more she spoke. She felt awful, like she let her husband down. But that was not how Jake felt at all. And he confirmed that by taking her hands in his and giving her a peck.

'Ames, it wasn't your fault.'

'It kinda is... Because now my body is fully incapable of having kids...'

'What are you talking about?' Jake said with a soft chuckle, not fully understanding what she was getting at.

'Jake, I took that pregnancy test because I missed my period... I thought I was pregnant, and I wanted to take the test before going to the doctor's today 'cause I'd look stupid if the doctor had to tell me after the physical.' 

'Okay..?'

'I told her before we went through the procedures, just in case, y'know? But then she said I wasn't pregnant... And that I'd missed my period because of menopause...'

'Oh...'

'And now, you're happy thinking I'm pregnant when I'm not and... I just feel like I've let you down...' she said softly.

'Hey, hey, come on,' he urged, pulling her closer to his body by wrapping an arm around her, 'You didn't let me down, okay? You never have.'

'So, you're not sad?'

'I'm not.'

'But you said you were excited,' she said quizzically.

'Well, yeah, I was. But this wasn't your fault, Amy. I mean, it's not like you can control something like this,' he reasoned.

'I guess so,' she conceded. 'Did you tell the kids anything?' she asked.

'No, I thought you'd have wanted for us to tell them together.'

'Hmm...'

She nodded a bit, but she still looked upset. Jake did not like this at all. It wasn't her fault she was going through this. 

'Were you very excited?' he asked softly.

'Would it be crazy if I had?' she asked back, almost scared to know the answer.

'No, of course not,' he answered, letting her rest her head on his shoulder as he rubbed her back soothingly.

'I just pictured everything until I got the new,' she confessed, 'How we'd have a new baby, and the other three would all fawn over them, how it could even out the teams for games... I guess it was wishful thinking more than anything.'

'That's a beautiful picture,' Jake commented with a smile, before planting a kiss on her head.

They stayed there in silence again. It wasn't the most comfortable one, but it wasn't as uncomfortable as before either. It was news they were both processing - nature's way of putting an end to having babies. They both knew this was coming one day. It just never occurred to them that 'one day' could be this day. 

'Do you ever wonder what life would have been like if we never had kids?' Amy asked out of the blue.

'What?' Jake asked, not understanding why she was asking that.

'Just tell me,' she said a bit more loudly, 'Do you ever imagine how our life would have gone?'

Jake looked down at his wife to see her expression better, hoping to get a better understanding of what she was planning to learn. 'I have, but only once and that was way before we even started trying,' he admitted.

'Really? When?'

'Remember our first anniversary? At the hospital? And you gave me an ultimatum of kids or not? Well, when you left the room with Rosa, I just thought about it constantly in my mind, and I played out two scenarios in my mind - if we had kids and if we didn't.'

'Go on...'

'In the scenario that we didn't have kids, I thought we'd get separated. And you'd be with Teddy, and have a family with him, while I died of loneliness.'

'Oh, my God. Are you serious?' she asked, absolutely mortified, 'Why? Why on earth would you think we'd separate? Why would you think I'd be with Teddy?!'

'Hey, you were the one who said would have to _restart_ with someone. And I thought it would be Teddy because you were with him for so long, and you both have so much in common, and maybe you'd want to go back to his big weiner.'

'Jesus Christ, are you seriously throwing the _big weiner_ argument in right now?' she asked, receiving only a shrug from Jake. She sighed before speaking again, 'Okay, listen to me, none of that would happen, okay? I was not gonna leave you, I mean, yes, I did give you an ultimatum, and I admitted I would restart. But that was before the whole bomb threat. When I was got to know that you were in that room with an active bomb, I didn't care about some hypothetical kids we might have in the future then. I just wanted you. And if I were to leave you, I'd definitely not go back to Teddy.'

'I didn't know that,' Jake said softly.

'I never told you, so...'

'But why are you asking this now?'

'I don't know,' she said with a sigh. 'Just knowing that we can't have kids anymore... I wanted to know what you had in plan for the future if you had any... I don't know if that makes complete sense, but I don't know how to fully explain.'

'Ames,' Jake said with a small smile, 'I do understand what you're trying to say. But this was a scenario I played if we had _no children_. But we do have children - three of them. We just can't have children anymore. And they're the best things that ever happened to us, and you know that too. I wouldn't change a thing about them or even about the journeys we've had with them: trying so hard to get pregnant the first time, the whole blackout during Mac's birth, the whole forty-plus pregnancy with Harry, Liz's adoption stress. And I understand that you were excited about a fourth baby; I was too. If you really want another baby, Ames, we can try for another adoption. 

'Amy, you remember how you apologized when we first tried because you were _bad at making babies_? You couldn't be more wrong then, babe. We have three of the best, most beautiful, most fun kids ever. So don't apologize on the subject of kids ever, okay? 'Cause I know you hardly mess up anything, but you could never go wrong with our kids.'

By the end of his little speech, Amy was openly crying. I could be due to her menopause, which, her doctor had warned, could cause mood swings due to the fluctuation of hormone levels. But she was sure it was Jake. Every single time she felt bad, he was always there to not just make her smile, but make her feel a million times better. He just had this ability, and she was lucky to be married to him. She leaned forward, kissing him deep, trying to pour every emotion into that one kiss just to tell him how much he meant to him, Even after they parted, they had their foreheads resting against one another, both of them smiling like teenagers that had just made out.

'I love you so much, Jake,' she said, just making sure he got the message.

'I love you so much to, Amy.'

'Do you really want to try adopting another kid?'

'If you want to, yeah.'

Her smile widened. 'We can talk about it later, right? Like, you don't need an immediate answer on that, do you? 'Cause I'm not fully sure,' she informed.

'Of course, take your time.'

'Thanks, babe.'

'No problem. And, hey, just because we talked about our anniversary, don't forget that your butt is da bomb!'

'Aw, you're so sweet. And hey, just so you know, you have the biggest weiner ever... And if you doubt that, I can prove it to you later....'

'Oh, I'd like that...'

'Yeah? But I need to eat first; I'm starving.'

'Oh, my God! I forgot!' Jake exclaimed, helping both himself and Amy get up, 'I got you your favorite pierogies.'

'You're the best husband ever!'

***

'What the hell happened in here?' Jake asked the children as he and Amy entered the kitchen.

'We were hungry,' Mac began timidly.

'But I told him to wait before you and Mommy came,' Harry added.

'But you were the one who pulled the bag and all the pierogies fell on the floor!'

'That's not true!'

'It is!'

As the boys bickered back and forth, the parents turned their attention to their daughter. 'And, Liz, what happened to you?' Amy asked.

'After the pierogies went bad, I went to get the pasta in the fridge but the sauce fell over me.... But they told me to do it!' she informed.

'No, we didn't! We told you to get the Coke!'

As the children fought among themselves, Amy nudged Jake's sleeve to catch his attention before saying, 'I think three kids are enough for now.'

'You sure?' he asked.

They both turned to find the three kids now in a physical brawl, added with crying and shouting.

'Definitely sure.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow... I've finished this work. It's hard to comprehend, really. This was actually my first ever fanfic. I never thought it would go this long, but I'm glad it has. When I read one of the earlier chapters and then one of the latest ones, I understand how far I've come along, and I am proud of myself.
> 
> But it would be criminal of me without mentioning you - the readers. Your comments, kudos, suggestions, compliments have always made me happy and encouraged me to do more and better. I honestly cannot thank you enough.
> 
> And, who know, maybe I'll return to this work one day. I love this family after all. But for now, I want to work on other fics, other stories/series. And I hope you'll follow my work.
> 
> Thank you so much!! You all have been the best!!!


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